php soapserver returning better readable associative array - php

Question

I'm using PHP SOAPSERVER class.
As a response I'm sending associative php array:
function getItems()
{
...
$items[] = Array("itemID" =>$itemID,"itemName"=>$itemName);
return $items;
}
SOAP return is like this:
...
<Items>
<item type="Map">
<item>
<key type="string">
itemID
</key>
<value type="string">
17558
</value>
</item>
<item>
<key type="string">
itemName
</key>
<value type="string">
I-17558
</value>
</item>
</item>
</Items>
...
Such return is pretty hard to analyze for human (given bigger array).
The preferred form would be like this:
...
<Items>
<item>
<itemID>17558</itemID>
<itemName>I-17558</itemName>
</item>
<item>
<itemID>17559</itemID>
<itemName>I-17559</itemName>
</item>
</Items>
...
Is such SOAP return possible (not changing the return type - array)? How?
I have just started with SOAP and most tutorials show how to return simple types like string.

Answer 1

Instead of sending an associative array, send a stdclass object.
Example :
$return = new stdclass;
$return->ItemID = 1;
$return->ItemName = 'foo';
return $return;
Then the SOAP results will be just the way you want it!