Create xml file using simplexml php

Is it possible to use PHP's SimpleXML functions to create an XML object from scratch? Looking through the function list, there's ways to import an existing XML string into an object that you can then manipulate, but if I just want to generate an XML object programmatically from scratch, what's the best way to do that?

I figured out that you can use simplexml_load_string[] and pass in the root string that you want, and then you've got an object you can manipulate by adding children... although this seems like kind of a hack, since I have to actually hardcode some XML into the string before it can be loaded.

I've done it using the DOMDocument functions, although it's a little confusing because I'm not sure what the DOM has to do with creating a pure XML document... so maybe it's just badly named :-]

asked Sep 27, 2008 at 6:30

Sure you can. Eg.

Output

Have fun.

answered Sep 27, 2008 at 7:42

DreamWerxDreamWerx

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In PHP5, you should use the Document Object Model class instead. Example:

$domDoc = new DOMDocument;
$rootElt = $domDoc->createElement['root'];
$rootNode = $domDoc->appendChild[$rootElt];

$subElt = $domDoc->createElement['foo'];
$attr = $domDoc->createAttribute['ah'];
$attrVal = $domDoc->createTextNode['OK'];
$attr->appendChild[$attrVal];
$subElt->appendChild[$attr];
$subNode = $rootNode->appendChild[$subElt];

$textNode = $domDoc->createTextNode['Wow, it works!'];
$subNode->appendChild[$textNode];

echo htmlentities[$domDoc->saveXML[]];

Giacomo1968

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answered Sep 27, 2008 at 8:50

PhiLhoPhiLho

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Please see my answer here. As dreamwerx.myopenid.com points out, it is possible to do this with SimpleXML, but the DOM extension would be the better and more flexible way. Additionally there is a third way: using XMLWriter. It's much more simple to use than the DOM and therefore it's my preferred way of writing XML documents from scratch.

$w=new XMLWriter[];
$w->openMemory[];
$w->startDocument['1.0','UTF-8'];
$w->startElement["root"];
    $w->writeAttribute["ah", "OK"];
    $w->text['Wow, it works!'];
$w->endElement[];
echo htmlentities[$w->outputMemory[true]];

By the way: DOM stands for Document Object Model; this is the standardized API into XML documents.

answered Sep 27, 2008 at 10:01

Stefan GehrigStefan Gehrig

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Basic information about XML :

What is XML ?

XML Stands for Extensible Markup Language. A markup language is used to annotate text or add additional information.

XML is a universal format for structured documents and data on web. It allows you to separate content from formatting.

Note :- I assume that you have basic idea what XML Files are.

Starting with the tutorial :-

As we are going to generate XML File with SimpleXML, there is a basic requirement to use SimpleXML.

Prerequisites :

This extension requires the libxml PHP extension. This means that passing in –enable-libxml is also required, although this is implicitly accomplished because libxml is enabled by default. The SimpleXML extension requires PHP 5.0 .

Installation :

This extension is enabled by default. It may be disabled by using the following option at compile time: –disable-simplexml

Note: Before PHP 5.1.2, –enable-simplexml is required to enable this extension.

1. Creating Object of  SimpleXML :

$xmlstr =  
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
	

References :-

For XML File Generation using SimpleXML

1. //php.net/manual/en/book.simplexml.php

For CDATA

1. //stackoverflow.com/questions/2784183/what-does-cdata-in-xml-mean
2. //www.tutorialspoint.com/xml/xml_cdata_sections.htm