Getting data from XML node in php

Question

I am retrieving an XML data from url and I want to extract data from the particular nodes.

Here is my XML Data

<person>
  <first-name>ABC</first-name>
  <last-name>XYZ</last-name>
</person>

Here's my PHP code:

$content = file_get_contents($url);

$xml = simplexml_load_string($content);

foreach($xml->children() as $child)
  {
  echo $child->getName() . ": " . $child->first-name . "<br>";
  }

PHP returns this error:

Use of undefined constant name - assumed 'name'

So where am I going wrong?

Also please see the [Basic Usage of SimpleXML, especially *Example #3 Getting * in the PHP Manual](http://php.net/simplexml.examples-basic) — hakre, Apr 07 '13 at 15:16

Kai23 · Answer 1 · 2013-04-07T15:18:02.753

Try to use this :

<person>
  <firstname>ABC</firstname>
  <lastname>XYZ</lastname>
</person>

and then :

$content = file_get_contents($url);

$xml = simplexml_load_string($content);

foreach($xml->children() as $child)
  {
  echo $child->getName() . ": " . $child->firstname . "<br>";
  }

Does it works ?

Edit : you won't have any datas in $xml->children() cause you don't have any. Try to do something like this :

<person>
  <firstname>ABC</firstname>
  <lastname>XYZ</lastname>
  <other>
    <first>111</first>
    <second>222</second>
  </other>
</person>

<?php 
$content = file_get_contents("test.xml");

$xml = simplexml_load_string($content);

foreach($xml->children() as $child)
{   
    echo $child->getName() . ": " .$child->first . "<br>";
}

 ?>

this will echo this :

firstname: 
lastname: 
other: 111

I you want to have the first node, you can simply do :

echo $xml->firstname

No. It doesnot. The $child->getName returns the node name only. But $child->firstname Or $child->first-name doesnot return the node's data — user1889200, Apr 07 '13 at 15:07

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 07 '13 at 15:05

0

The '-' isn't allowed in a variable name. $child->first-name is interpreted as $child->first minus name. You should find another way to get the content.

edited Apr 07 '13 at 15:05

Baby Groot

4,637
39
52
71

answered Apr 07 '13 at 15:04

Janoz

953
4
9

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 07 '13 at 15:07

0

As already mentioned, you cannot use - in the variable name. From what I can gather though, you are simply trying to print out the tag name and value. If so, you're probably after this:

foreach($xml->children() as $child)
{
    echo "{$child->getName()}: $child <br />";
}

answered Apr 07 '13 at 15:07

juco

6,331
3
25
42

Yes Ofcourse. I am trying to print the tag value. It did worked. Thank you – user1889200 Apr 07 '13 at 15:10
@juco: Please just comment and link to the existing answer with these common questions. – hakre Apr 07 '13 at 15:17

Getting data from XML node in php

3 Answers3