Parsing XML with PHP

[NerieX]

Hello MMOwned.
In this guide i will learn you how to parse XML in a simple and easy way with PHP!

Whats recommended to know:
Simple PHP knowledge
Simple HTML knowledge

Okay first we will make our XML file.
We will just put some random things in it like this:

example.xml:

<person>
    <firstname>Edward</firstname>
    <lastname>Johnson</lastname>
    <age>78</age>
    <email>[email protected]</email>
    <username>Edwii</username>
    <password>edward123</password>
</person>

Please note this is only for examples! I don't know if any user here has the username Edwii xD

Now lets start on the PHP.
First we would of course make the

<?php
?>

thats pretty logic right? xD

now what to do? :'(
now lets load the XML file!
for this we will use a function named simplexml_load_file()

we're gonna make our own function!
Now lets continue.
Lets make our function
to make functions (its pretty easy) we simply do like this:

<?php
function YourFunction() {
}
?>

Now we won't name our function YourFunction.
We will name it XMLoad

<?php
function XMLoad() {
}
?>

but there is something wrong.
What is wrong?
Yep thats right.
The functions does absolutely NOTHING!
And to make it possible to load XML we will have to add a parameter to the function.
Like this:

<?php
function XMLoad($xmlfile) {
    echo $xmlfile;
}
?>

Now try and do like this under the function:

XMLoad("heey");

wow it writes heey on the page.
Now you got a working function.
Now lets make it work with loading xml!
The function needs to look like this:

<?php
function XMLoad($xmlfile) {
    $xml = @simplexml_load_file($xmlfile);
    if(!$xml) {
        echo "Unable to load XML File!";
    }
    else {
    }
}
?>

now the XMLoad function can load a XML file but it does not output anything. Is that wierd or wierd? NOT AT ALL!
To make it display we will have to do like this:

$xml->person->firstname.

pretty hard huh?
now lets make the function print all of the things in the XML file

<?php
function XMLoad($xmlfile) {
    $xml = @simplexml_load_file($xmlfile);
    if(!$xml) {
        echo "Unable to load XML File!";
    }
    else {
        echo "<h1>Person Info</h1>First name: " . $xml->person->firstname . "<br>
        Last name: " . $xml->person->lastname . "<br>
        Age: " . $xml->person->age . "<br>
        E-mail: " . $xml->person->email . "<br>
        Username: " . $xml->person->username . "<br>
        Password: " . $xml->person->password . "<br>";
    }
}
?>

now the function is finished.
Now we only need to do one thing.
Save the function as person.php
now make a new php file named index.php
and in that file write this:

<?php
include("person.php");
XMLoad("example.xml");
?>

Now it should echo all the information of the person Edward Johnson if just you saved the example XML file as example.xml

Thats was all of this tutorial.

Greetings, NerieX.

[Danne206]

If you're going to parse XML, you SHOULD know how to create a function .

Unless you use it several times, there's really no reason to create a function for it.
else {
}

Big nono. Why would you do that? I can't see any reason.

if(true) {
//Do something
} else {
//Do nothing
}

is equal to

if(true) {
//Do something
}

EDIT: +4 for contributing!

[Krillere]

If you're going to parse XML, you SHOULD know how to create a function .

Unless you use it several times, there's really no reason to create a function for it.
else {
}

Big nono. Why would you do that? I can't see any reason.

if(true) {
//Do something
} else {
//Do nothing
}

is equal to

if(true) {
//Do something
}

EDIT: +4 for contributing!

I'm pretty sure that you can't give more than 1 rep at a time now.

[The-Eradicator]

I'm pretty sure that you can't give more than 1 rep at a time now.

I believe you still have rep power, you just can't decide how much you give. So if you have 4 rep power, you give 4 rep. But you cannot give say, 2 rep anymore.

[NerieX]

This is not a rep-chat thread

Ty danne :P
But the if else thingy is used in this function... look at the finished script

[Danne206]

This is not a rep-chat thread

Ty danne :P
But the if else thingy is used in this function... look at the finished script

Oh, my bad! I just looked through it quick - apologizes!:]

[Allstar .ιllιlı.]

Thanks man! Just what I was looking for
+Rep

[Dombo]

Very decent and comprehensible tutorial

[NerieX]

hehe ty :P