php foreach with a variable - php

Question

I'm trying to use a variable in a foreach loop (with simplexml) but am confused as to how to get it work properly.
My variable is:
$path="channel->item";
And I want my foreach to look like:
foreach ($xml->".$path." as $newsItem)
But that doesn't work - like the $path is being echo as $path rather than it's contents.
if I do:
foreach ($xml->channel->item as $newsItem)
It works fine.
I'm sure it's just a syntax issue but I can't figure it out. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You can't include pointers in the variable variable.
$members = explode('->', $path);
foreach($xml->{$members[0]}->{$members[1]} as $v) {
}
This will only work if your path stays two dimensional.
[edit]
If you do need it to work recursively you can use this. Sorry took me a minute to write it:
function pathFinder($path, $obj) {
$members = explode('->', $path);
if(is_object($obj) && count($members) && property_exists($obj, $members[0])) {
$nextMember = $members[0];
array_shift($members);
return pathFinder(implode('->', $members), $obj->{$nextMember});
} else {
return $obj;
}
}
$xml = new stdClass;
$xml->channel->item[] = 'love';
$xml->channel->item[] = 'test';
$path = 'channel->item';
$array = pathFinder($path, $xml);
print_r($array);
output:
Array(
[0] => love
[1] => test
)

Answer 2

Try something like this:
#Object for test
$xml = new stdClass();
$xml->channel->item[] = "banana";
$xml->channel->item[] = "abacate";
$xml->channel->item[] = "manga";
$xml->channel->item[] = "abacaxi";
$xml->channel->item[] = "morango";
list($channel, $item)= explode('->','channel->item');
foreach ($xml->{$channel}->{$item} as $newsItem) :
var_dump($newsItem);
endforeach;