Request XML data from other server - php

Question

I am trying to use Namecheap's API for domain information, although their API documentation doesn't explain very well and it would be the first time that I am using XML data, I'm trying to return the data from the XML file.
I am currently using a form to add variables and POST/GET data to this XML request, on submit, the XML page displays and that is the end of that.
I am wondering how it is possible to send and receive this data using PHP?
Here is what I have so far...
Very Simple:
<form action="https://api.namecheap.com/xml.response" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" id="ApiUser" name="ApiUser" value="user" />
<input type="hidden" id="UserName" name="UserName" value="user" />
<input type="hidden" id="ApiKey" name="ApiKey" value="###" />
<input type="hidden" id="Command" name="Command" value="namecheap.domains.check" />
<input type="hidden" id="ClientIp" name="ClientIp" value="<? echo $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']; ?>" />
<input type="text" id="DomainList" name="DomainList" />
</form>
Like I said, this sends me straight through to the XML file. I am thinking that I probably need to perform a POST ISSET or something...
<?
if(isset($_POST['domain_check'])){
PERFORM XML STUFF HERE
}
?>
Yet I don't have a clue how to send or receive data in this way as I am a beginner. The data is returned like so:
<ApiResponse xmlns="http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response" Status="OK">
<Errors/>
<Warnings/>
<RequestedCommand>namecheap.domains.check</RequestedCommand>
<CommandResponse Type="namecheap.domains.check">
<DomainCheckResult Domain="test.com" Available="false" ErrorNo="0" Description="" IsPremiumName="false" PremiumRegistrationPrice="0" PremiumRenewalPrice="0" PremiumRestorePrice="0" PremiumTransferPrice="0" IcannFee="0" EapFee="0"/>
</CommandResponse>
<Server>PHX01APIEXT01</Server>
<GMTTimeDifference>--4:00</GMTTimeDifference>
<ExecutionTime>1.061</ExecutionTime>
</ApiResponse>
Please inform me with the best way to do this? Thanks.

Answer 1

To parse the response try using simple_xml,
$xml=simplexml_load_string($myXMLData) or die("Error: Cannot create object");
print_r($xml);
Try using cURL so you don't have to submit a form manually, I haven't tested this but this example should help get you going
<?php
$ch = curl_init();
$baseUrl = 'https://api.sandbox.namecheap.com/xml.response?ApiUser=ncuser&ApiKey=apikey&UserName=ncuser&ClientIp=121.22.123.22&Command=namecheap.domains.check&DomainList=domain1.com,domain2.com';
$url = $baseUrl . $query;
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, false);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, false);
$output = curl_exec($ch);
if ($output === false) {
die(curl_error($ch));
}
//print_r(curl_getinfo($ch));
curl_close($ch);
return $output;