'''store_ids enables searching the tree for missing fields'''

    def pkey(table): return sql.pkey(db, table, True)

    def put_(node, parent_id=None):

        args = (db, node, row_ct_ref, on_error, pool, store_ids, parent_id)

        if parent_id != None and pool != None: pool.apply_async(put, args)

        else: return put(*args)

    def on_error_(e):

        exc.add_msg(e, 'node:\n'+str(node))

        on_error(e)

    table = name_of(node)

    try: pkey_ = pkey(table)

    except sql.DatabaseErrors, e: on_error_(e); return None

    row = {}

    children = []

    # Divide children into fields and children with fkeys to parent

    for child in xml_dom.NodeElemIter(node):

        child_name = name_of(child)

        if xml_dom.is_empty(child): row[child_name] = None

        elif xml_dom.is_text(child):

            row[child_name] = strings.to_unicode(xml_dom.value(child))

        elif is_ptr(child_name): row[child_name] = put_(ptr_target(child))

        else: children.append(child)

    # Add fkey to parent

    if parent_id != None:

        parent_ptr = node.getAttribute('fkey')

        if parent_ptr == '': parent_ptr = pkey(name_of(node.parentNode))

        row[parent_ptr] = parent_id

    # Insert node

    try:

        for try_num in xrange(2):

            try:

                id_ = sql_io.put(db, table, row, pkey_, row_ct_ref)

                if store_ids: xml_dom.set_id(node, id_)

                break

            except sql.NullValueException, e:

                col = e.cols[0]

                if try_num > 0: raise # exception still raised after retry

                if store_ids and is_ptr(col):

                    # Search for required column in ancestors and their children

                    target = find_by_name(node, ptr_type_guess(col))

                    if target == None: raise

                    row[col] = xml_dom.get_id(target)

                else: raise

    except sql.DatabaseErrors, e: on_error_(e); return None

    # Insert children with fkeys to parent

    for child in children: put_(child, id_)

    return id_