Importing XML from file works fine: (the file contains the same data that you can see below for xmlstring import)

$("#grid2").jqGrid('jqGridImport',
{
impurl:"grid_source_mini.xml",
imptype: 'xml',
xmlGrid :{config: "roots>grid", data: "roots>rows"}
});

When I want to use the same data with “xmlstring” import, nothing happens or I get

Uncaught exception: Syntax error, unrecognized expression: #

$("#grid3").jqGrid('jqGridImport',{
imptype: 'xmlstring',