PHP XML Parsers

📄 PHP XML Parsers Tutorial

PHP provides several ways to read, parse, and manipulate XML data. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is commonly used for data exchange between systems. PHP supports DOM, SimpleXML, and XML Parser functions.

1️⃣ Using SimpleXML

SimpleXML is the easiest way to parse XML files or strings into an object.

Example – Parsing XML from a file:

<?php
$xml = simplexml_load_file("users.xml") or die("Error: Cannot load XML file");

foreach($xml->user as $user) {
echo "ID: " . $user->id . "<br>";
echo "Name: " . $user->name . "<br>";
echo "Email: " . $user->email . "<br><br>";
}
?>

<?php

$xml = simplexml_load_file("users.xml") or die("Error: Cannot load XML file");

foreach($xml->user as $user) {

echo "ID: " . $user->id . " ";

echo "Name: " . $user->name . " ";

echo "Email: " . $user->email . " ";

}

Example XML (users.xml):

✅ Easy to use; treats XML nodes as objects.

2️⃣ Using DOM Parser

The DOMDocument class allows advanced manipulation of XML documents.

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

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

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

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

<?php

$doc = new DOMDocument();

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

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

foreach ($users as $user) {

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

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

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

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

}

✅ DOMDocument allows you to create, modify, and delete XML elements.

3️⃣ Using XML Parser Functions

PHP also provides event-based XML parsing using xml_parser_create().

<?php
function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
echo "Start Element: $name<br>";
}

function endElement($parser, $name) {
echo "End Element: $name<br>";
}

function characterData($parser, $data) {
if(trim($data)) {
echo "Data: $data<br>";
}
}

$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();

xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");

$xml_data = file_get_contents("users.xml");
xml_parse($xml_parser, $xml_data, true);

xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
?>

<?php

function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {

echo "Start Element: $name ";

}

function endElement($parser, $name) {

echo "End Element: $name ";

}

function characterData($parser, $data) {

if(trim($data)) {

echo "Data: $data ";

}

$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();

xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");

xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");

$xml_data = file_get_contents("users.xml");

xml_parse($xml_parser, $xml_data, true);

xml_parser_free($xml_parser);

✅ Useful for large XML files; works like SAX parser.

4️⃣ Key Points

SimpleXML – Easy to read XML as objects; ideal for small and simple files.
DOMDocument – Powerful for creating, editing, and deleting XML nodes.
XML Parser Functions – Event-driven, useful for large XML files.
Always handle errors with or die() or try-catch.
XML can be loaded from files or strings (simplexml_load_file() / simplexml_load_string()).

PHP XML Parsers

📄 PHP XML Parsers Tutorial

1️⃣ Using SimpleXML

2️⃣ Using DOM Parser

3️⃣ Using XML Parser Functions

4️⃣ Key Points

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PHP XML Parsers

📄 PHP XML Parsers Tutorial

1️⃣ Using SimpleXML

2️⃣ Using DOM Parser

3️⃣ Using XML Parser Functions

4️⃣ Key Points

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