PHP simpleXML: load string as node returns blank? (simplexml_load_string)

Question

I'm trying to add a child to an XML-node by loading a string as an xml-node, but for some reason it returns an empty value ...

// Load xml
$path = 'path/to/file.xml';
$xml = simplexml_load_file($path);

// Select node
$fields = $xml->sections->fields;

// Create new child node
$nodestring = '<option>
           <label>A label</label>
           <value>A value</value>
           </option>';

// Add field
$fields->addChild('child_one', simplexml_load_string($nodestring));

For some reason, child_one is added but without content, although it does put in the line-breaks.

Although when I do a var_export on simplexml_load_string($nodestring), I get:

    SimpleXMLElement::__set_state(array(
   'label' => 'A label',
   'value' => 'A value',
    ))

So I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong ...

EDIT:

Sample xml-file:

<config>
    <sections>
        <fields>
            text
        </fields>
    </sections> 
</config>

Sampe $xml -file after trying to add child node:

<config>
    <sections>
        <fields>
            text
        <child_one>


</child_one></fields>
    </sections> 
</config>

Can you post sample structure of the xml?

Codex73
– Codex73

2010-08-05 15:28:35 +00:00
Commented Aug 5, 2010 at 15:28 — Codex73
– Codex73, Commented Aug 5, 2010 at 15:28
Added sample of before and after.

Rakward
– Rakward

2010-08-05 17:17:30 +00:00
Commented Aug 5, 2010 at 17:17 — Rakward
– Rakward, Commented Aug 5, 2010 at 17:17

Josh Davis · Accepted Answer · 2010-08-05 15:52:19Z

1

SimpleXML cannot manipulate nodes. You can create new nodes from values, but you cannot create a node then copy this node to another document.

Here are three solutions to that problem:

Use DOM instead.

Create the nodes in the right document directly, e.g.

$option = $fields->addChild('option');
$option->addChild('label', 'A label');
$option->addChild('value', 'A value');

Use a library such as SimpleDOM, which will let you use DOM methods on SimpleXML elements.

In your example, solution 2 seems the best.

answered Aug 5, 2010 at 15:52

Josh Davis

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1 Comment

Rakward Over a year ago

Thanks, I found that I can load the string with DOMDocument->loadXML, then select a node from that xml file and copy it to another XML file (see my own answer if anybody is interested)

Rakward · Accepted Answer · 2010-08-05 17:44:02Z

0

Code I used:

// Load document
$orgdoc = new DOMDocument;
$orgdoc->loadXML("<root><element><child>text in child</child></element></root>");

// Load string
$nodestring = '<option>
       <label>A label</label>
       <value>A value</value>
       </option>';

$string = new DOMDocument;
$string->loadXML($nodestring);

// Select the element to copy
$node = $string->getElementsByTagName("option")->item(0);

// Copy XML data to other document
$node = $orgdoc->importNode($node, true);
$orgdoc->documentElement->appendChild($node);

answered Aug 5, 2010 at 17:44

Rakward

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1 Comment

Josh Davis Over a year ago

If you want to use DOM, then you can use appendXML() too -- docs.php.net/manual/en/domdocumentfragment.appendxml.php

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