PHP XPath Query XML?

Question

I tried to make a PHP file that could search for specific fish in an XML document. This is what I wrote:

$FISH_NAME = $_POST["fish_name"];
$LOCATION = $_POST["location"];
$STATUS = $_POST["status"];
$EDIBLE = $_POST["edible"];
$SCS_NAME = $_POST["scs_name"];
$COLOR = $_POST["color"];
$FEATURE = $_POST["feature"];


$varsPassed = array(
    $FISH_NAME => "NAME", 
    $LOCATION => "@LOCATION", 
    $STATUS => "STATUS", 
    $EDIBLE => "EDIBLE", 
    $SCS_NAME => "SCS-NAME", 
    $COLOR => "COLORS/COLOR", 
    $FEATURE => "FEATURES/FEATURE"
);

$conditional = "";

function addToCond($varPassed, $tagName) {
    if (!empty($varPassed)) {
        if(!empty($conditional)) {
            $conditional .= " and {$tagName} = '{$varPassed}'";
        }
        else {
            $conditional = "{$tagName} = '{$varPassed}'";
        }
    }
}

foreach($varsPassed as $current_feature => $current_tag_name) {
    addToCond($current_feature, $current_tag_Name);
    echo "{$current_feature}: {$current_tag_name}\n";
}

$query = "/FISHDICT/FISH[@LOCATION = 'REEF']";
echo $query;

$dom = new DOMDocument();
$dom->load('server/fish.xml');
$xpath = new DOMXpath($dom);
$value = $xpath->evaluate($query);
foreach($value as $item) {
    echo "found:  {$item->nodeValue}\n\n";
}

But it doesn't work. I get this echoed on the webpage:

Angelfish: NAME : FEATURES/FEATURE /FISHDICT/FISH[@LOCATION = 'REEF']

Does anybody know why it doesn't loop through each post variable?

XML:

    <FISH location="REEF">
    <NAME>Angelfish</NAME>
    <COLORS>
        <COLOR> Blue </COLOR>
        <COLOR> Green </COLOR>
    </COLORS>
    <FEATURES> 
        <FEATURE> Round head </FEATURE>
        <FEATURE> Crown on head </FEATURE>
        <FEATURE> Tall tail fin </FEATURE>
    </FEATURES>
    <TAGS> 
        <TAG> REEF-FISH </TAG>
        <TAG> MULTICOLORED </TAG>
    </TAGS>
    <STATUS> ENDANGERED </STATUS>
    <DESCRIPTION> This fish is found in reefs and is common throughout Bermuda...</DESCRIPTION>
    <FISHINGLEGAL> FALSE </FISHINGLEGAL> 
    <DIET> 
        <DIETITEM> Algae </DIETITEM>
        <DIETITEM> Sea Plants </DIETITEM>
    </DIET>
    <EDIBLE> FALSE </EDIBLE> 
    <SCS-NAME> Holacanthus ciliaris </SCS-NAME>
</FISH>

Your script works for me when I input static values. Are you sure your POST names are correct? Also not sure if your expecting to use $conditional in the future but current code it won't have anything in. — chris85
– chris85, Commented Apr 5, 2015 at 22:02

John McMahon · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-05 22:05:00Z

2

From your output the $varsPassed array clearly doesn't contain what you expect. To debug I would do print_r($_POST); at the top of the file to see if the post values are what you expect. Then possibly a print_r($varsPassed); after you create that array to make sure it is populated as expected.

By the way, your function addToCond() is attempting to append values to a variable not inside the scope of the function, $conditional. You should change the function to either return a value which gets appended to $conditional in the calling code, or pass by reference $conditional into the function.

answered Apr 5, 2015 at 22:05

John McMahon

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