Export Array of SimpleXMLElement objects to MySQL Database - php

Question

I have a SOAP Response from a Web Service and have extracted the XML data as a SimpleXMLElement. I have then iterated through this object to extract the various fields I need and save them into an array, which becomes an array of SimpleXMLElement objects.
I am now trying to export this data into a MySQL Database which, according to my research, means turning the array into a String and then using mysql_query("INSERT INTO (whatever) VALUES (whatever)");. I have tried implode and serialize but neither work and I get the error:
Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'Exception' with message 'Serialization of 'SimpleXMLElement' is not allowed'
This is what the array I have created from the SimpleXMLELement looks like:
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[uid] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[0] => WOS:000238186400009
)
[journal] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[#attributes] => Array
(
[type] => source
)
)
[publication] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[#attributes] => Array
(
[type] => item
)
[0] => Abundance of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in relation to the density and distribution of badgers (Meles meles)
)
[year] => 2006
[author1] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[0] => Young, RP
)
[address] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[0] => Cent Sci Lab, Sand Hutton, Yorks, England
)
[author2] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[0] => Davison, J
)
[author3] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[0] => Trewby, ID
)
[citations] => SimpleXMLElement Object
(
[#attributes] => Array
(
[local_count] => 15
[coll_id] => WOS
)
)
) ... etc ...
)
Can anyone help me with the method to get this data into my database, please? Do I need to change it into (yet) another format?

Answer 1

You have to iterate through your array to create a new array fulfilled with strings instead of SimpleXMLElement, such as :
<?php
// your array (already built)
$arraySimpleXml = array(
"example1" => new SimpleXMLElement("<test>value</test>"),
"example2" => new SimpleXMLElement("<test>value2</test>")
);
// output array, to store in database
$result = array();
foreach($arraySimpleXml as $key => $simpleXml) {
$result[$key] = $simpleXml->asXML();
}
// gets your result as a string => you can now insert it into mysql
$dbInsertion = serialize($result);
?>

Answer 2

So I worked out how to change the data into a standard array rather than an array of SimpleXMLElements so that I can successfully insert it into a MySQL database.
When iterating the SimpleXMLElement object to extract the data I needed I cast the type as String so that now my array has the format (as opposed to above):
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[uid] => WOS:000238186400009
[journal] => JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
[publication] => Abundance of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in relation to the density and distribution of badgers (Meles meles)
[year] => 2006
[author1] => Young, RP
[address] => Cent Sci Lab, Sand Hutton, Yorks, England
[author2] => Davison, J
[author3] => Trewby, ID
[citations] => 15
)
)
Thought I'd post this in case anyone has a similar problem in future. To do this, when iterating the data instead of:
$uid = $record->UID;
I did:
$uid = (string)$record->UID;
For each of the data fields I required. This ensures the data is stored as a String and so removes the SimpleXMLElement format.