Save/Alphabetize XML Responses in a Foreach Array - php

Question

I'm new to php and am doing this project to teach myself a bit.
I'm importing XML data from a Reuters RSS feed and would like to sort the content of all the responses alphabetically. I've had no problem loading the information I want to the page using a foreach loop, however the sorting system I'm using alphabetizes the words in each xml title individually, as opposed to together as one string.
How can I group or save all the responses together in order to sort them as a whole once they've been collected by the foreach loop?
Here's what I have so far:
<?php
function getFeed($feed_url) {
$content = file_get_contents($feed_url);
$x = new SimpleXmlElement($content);
$string = $x->channel->item ;
echo "<p>";
foreach($x->channel->item as $entry) {
$string = $entry->title;
$split=explode(" ", $string);
sort($split); // sorts the elements
echo implode(" ", $split); //combine and print the elements
}
echo "</p>";
}?>

Answer 1

What you are wanting to do is build an array with all the words and then sort it at the end.
<?php
function getFeed($feed_url) {
$content = file_get_contents($feed_url);
$x = new SimpleXmlElement($content);
$titles = "";
foreach($x->channel->item as $entry) {
$titles .= " $entry->title";
}
$split = explode(" ", $titles);
sort($split, SORT_FLAG_CASE | SORT_NATURAL);
return trim(implode(" ", $split));
}
$words = getFeed("http://feeds.reuters.com/Reuters/PoliticsNews");
echo "<p>$words</p>";
I didn't remove non-word characters, so things like quotes will mess with the sorting.
Output:
<p>'sanctuary' abuse after announcement, areas as battle California, cards, case crises cut detention drill Egyptian Egyptian-American Exxon financial Florida for freed from funding future give green greets healthcare Homeland hope in in in in Indian looms not of officials orders orders other permission plan possible prevent probe probes racial reboot reform resigns revamped review review review rule rules Russia Security see seeks senator sets slur state summons tax tax testify threatens to to to to Top Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump-Russia Twitter U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. Uphill visa-holders Waiting Washington will</p>

Answer 2

Consider saving titles to an array, sort their values, and then iterate back out for echo output:
$content = file_get_contents("http://feeds.reuters.com/Reuters/PoliticsNews");
$x = new SimpleXmlElement($content);
$titles = [];
foreach($x->channel->item as $entry) {
$titles[] = $entry->title;
}
sort($titles, SORT_NATURAL | SORT_FLAG_CASE); # CASE INSENSITIVE SORT
foreach($titles as $t) {
echo "<p>". $t ."</p>";
}
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