Converting xml DOMDocument to HTML string and echo - php

Question

I have this Class
Class Parser extends DOMDocument {
public function setHTML($file) {
$this->loadHTMLFile($file);
}
public function setAttribute($name, $value) {
return $this->setAttribute($name, $value);
}
public function findById($id) {
return $this->getElementById($id);
}
}
and I use it like this:
$parser = new Parser();
$parser->setHTML('as.html');
$parser->findById("xaxa")->setAttribute('name1', 'value1');
but if I have to see the changed HTML I call SAVEHTML like this
echo $parser->saveHTML();
Is there a way to make it automatic? Like when method setAttribute is called to make
$this->saveHTML()
auto so I will have this
$html =$parser->findById("xaxa")->setAttribute('name1', 'value1');
then call
echo $html;
Thanks alot

Answer 1

Well, the DOM object cannot be used (directly) as string, and when you'll try for example echo it will throw an exception
Catchable fatal error: Object of class DOMDocument could not be converted to string in ...
The saveHTML method is explicitly designed to return the nodes as HTML string - than you can echo it. Bear in mind, that actually the nodes are already updated (saved!) after you call the setAttribute method - the saveHTML is just for rendering a html string from the nodes.
Providing I understand your concept, and you still think you want it your way, maybe you can try the below solution - but just for the record, I didnt test the code.
Class Parser extends DOMDocument
{
public function setHTML($file)
{
$this->loadHTMLFile($file);
}
public function setAttribute($name, $value)
{
return $this->setAttribute($name, $value);
}
public function findById($id)
{
return $this->getElementById($id);
}
public function __toString()
{
return $this->saveHTML();
}
}
// and now this should work
$parser = new Parser();
$parser->setHTML('as.html');
$parser->findById("xaxa")->setAttribute('name1', 'value1');
echo $parser;