PHP XML DOM Parser

🏛️ PHP XML DOM Parser Tutorial

In PHP XML DOM Parser allows you to load, read, modify, and create XML documents. It represents the XML as a tree structure in memory, giving full control over nodes, attributes, and elements.

1️⃣ Loading and Reading XML

<?php
// Create DOMDocument object
$doc = new DOMDocument();
$doc->load("users.xml"); // Load XML file

// Get all <user> elements
$users = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user");

foreach ($users as $user) {
$id = $user->getAttribute("id"); // Get attribute
$name = $user->getElementsByTagName("name")->item(0)->nodeValue;
$email = $user->getElementsByTagName("email")->item(0)->nodeValue;

echo "ID: $id - Name: $name - Email: $email<br>";
}
?>

<?php

// Create DOMDocument object

$doc = new DOMDocument();

$doc->load("users.xml"); // Load XML file

// Get all <user> elements

$users = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user");

foreach ($users as $user) {

$id = $user->getAttribute("id"); // Get attribute

$name = $user->getElementsByTagName("name")->item(0)->nodeValue;

$email = $user->getElementsByTagName("email")->item(0)->nodeValue;

echo "ID: $id - Name: $name - Email: $email<br>";

}

Sample XML (users.xml):

✅ Access elements with getElementsByTagName() and attributes with getAttribute().

2️⃣ Creating a New XML Document

<?php
// Create new DOMDocument
$doc = new DOMDocument("1.0", "UTF-8");

// Create root element
$root = $doc->createElement("users");
$doc->appendChild($root);

// Create a new <user> element
$user = $doc->createElement("user");
$user->setAttribute("id", "3");

// Add child elements
$name = $doc->createElement("name", "Ravi");
$email = $doc->createElement("email", "ravi@example.com");

$user->appendChild($name);
$user->appendChild($email);
$root->appendChild($user);

// Save XML to file
$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "New XML document created successfully!";
?>

<?php

// Create new DOMDocument

$doc = new DOMDocument("1.0", "UTF-8");

// Create root element

$root = $doc->createElement("users");

$doc->appendChild($root);

// Create a new <user> element

$user = $doc->createElement("user");

$user->setAttribute("id", "3");

// Add child elements

$name = $doc->createElement("name", "Ravi");

$email = $doc->createElement("email", "ravi@example.com");

$user->appendChild($name);

$user->appendChild($email);

$root->appendChild($user);

// Save XML to file

$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "New XML document created successfully!";

✅ DOMDocument allows full control to create and save XML.

3️⃣ Modifying Existing XML

<?php
$doc = new DOMDocument();
$doc->load("users.xml");

// Get first <user> element
$user = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user")->item(0);

// Modify child nodes
$user->getElementsByTagName("name")->item(0)->nodeValue = "Vipul Updated";
$user->getElementsByTagName("email")->item(0)->nodeValue = "vipul.updated@example.com";

// Save changes
$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "XML updated successfully!";
?>

<?php

$doc = new DOMDocument();

$doc->load("users.xml");

// Get first <user> element

$user = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user")->item(0);

// Modify child nodes

$user->getElementsByTagName("name")->item(0)->nodeValue = "Vipul Updated";

$user->getElementsByTagName("email")->item(0)->nodeValue = "vipul.updated@example.com";

// Save changes

$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "XML updated successfully!";

✅ You can change node values and attributes.

4️⃣ Deleting Nodes

<?php
$doc = new DOMDocument();
$doc->load("users.xml");

// Remove the second <user>
$users = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user");
$userToRemove = $users->item(1);
$userToRemove->parentNode->removeChild($userToRemove);

// Save changes
$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "User deleted successfully!";
?>

<?php

$doc = new DOMDocument();

$doc->load("users.xml");

// Remove the second <user>

$users = $doc->getElementsByTagName("user");

$userToRemove = $users->item(1);

$userToRemove->parentNode->removeChild($userToRemove);

// Save changes

$doc->save("users.xml");

echo "User deleted successfully!";

✅ parentNode->removeChild() removes nodes from the XML tree.

5️⃣ Key Points

DOMDocument loads XML into a tree structure, allowing full manipulation.
Use getElementsByTagName() to access elements and getAttribute() for attributes.
Use createElement(), appendChild(), and setAttribute() to create XML nodes.
Node values can be modified via nodeValue.
Nodes can be removed using removeChild().
Always save changes with save("filename.xml").

PHP XML DOM Parser