how to access array objects differently and dynamically - php

Question

there is a xml document that i'm parsing to array..
how can i access those array objects and save them in new variables..?
this is piece of php code that is parsing
$contents = file_get_contents('test.xml');
$xml = simplexml_load_string($contents);
print_r($xml);
here is the xml that is being parsed
<?xml version='1.0'?>
<document>
<txtmsg>
<smstel>1234567</smstel>
<smstxt></smstxt>
<smsdir>Send</smsdir>
<smstime>06/01/2010 7:54:48 am</smstime>
</txtmsg>
<txtmsg>
<smstel>33333333</smstel>
<smstxt>Test sms hhTes12222222</smstxt>
<smsdir>Send</smsdir>
<smstime>06/01/2010 7:54:48 am</smstime>
</txtmsg>
<Contacts>
<conttime>06/01/2010 8:19:05 am</conttime>
<cnt>
<fn>Abc</fn>
<ln>Def</ln>
<cnttel>123456</cnttel>
<cntmtel>3333333</cntmtel>
<cntemail>abc#hotmail.com</cntemail>
</cnt>
<cnt>
<fn>def</fn>
<ln>ghi</ln>
<cnttel>234234</cnttel>
<cntmtel>2424</cntmtel>
<cntemail>df#hotmail.com</cntemail>
</cnt>
</Contacts>
</document>
and this is output.
SimpleXMLElement Object ( [txtmsg] => Array ( [0] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [smstel] => 1234567 [smstxt] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [smsdir] => Send [smstime] => 06/01/2010 7:54:48 am ) [1] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [smstel] => 33333333 [smstxt] => Test sms hhTes12222222 [smsdir] => Send [smstime] => 06/01/2010 7:54:48 am ) ) [Contacts] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [conttime] => 06/01/2010 8:19:05 am [cnt] => Array ( [0] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [fn] => Abc [ln] => Def [cnttel] => 123456 [cntmtel] => 3333333 [cntemail] => abc#hotmail.com ) [1] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [fn] => def [ln] => ghi [cnttel] => 234234 [cntmtel] => 2424 [cntemail] => df#hotmail.com ) ) ) )
how can i access each element of xml individually.. like smstel,smstxt,smsdir etc

Answer 1

Maybe I'm over simplifying it, but a loop.
foreach($xml->txtmsg as $txtmsg) {
echo $txtmsg->smstel;
echo $txtmsg->smstxt;
// more elements...
}
Note: When using XML it helps to be aware of the schema. Meaning the above example is specific to those elements you mentioned. Nonetheless, it should help you get started.

Answer 2

this is the best way you can do that..
foreach($xml->txtmsg as $txtmsg) {
echo $txtmsg->smstel;
// more elements...
}

Answer 3

Easy
(string)$xml->txtmsg->smstel
Same goes for params and lists.. its either an object property, or an array

Answer 4

echo $xml->txtmsg[0]->smstel; // 1234567
echo $xml->txtmsg[1]->smstel; // 3333333

Answer 5

$smsTel = (string) $xml->txtmsg[0]->smstel; // 1234567
To literally convert the <txtmsg> sections to a multidimensional array, you could do:
$array = array();
foreach ($xml->txtmsg as $msg) {
$array[] = array (
'smstel' => (string) $msg->smstel,
'smstxt' => (string) $msg->smstxt,
'smsdir' => (string) $msg->smsdir,
'smstime' => (string) $msg->smstime
);
}
print_r($array);
/*
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[smstel] => 1234567
[smstxt] =>
[smstel] => Send
[smstime] => 06/01/2010 7:54:48 am
)
[1] => Array
(
[smstel] => 33333333
[smstxt] => Test sms hhTes12222222
[smstel] => Send
[smstime] => 06/01/2010 7:54:48 am
)
)
*/

Answer 6

here is the code.
it will be convert you SimpleXML Object to Array
function convertXmlObjToArr($obj, &$arr)
{
$children = $obj->children();
foreach ($children as $elementName => $node)
{
$nextIdx = count($arr);
$arr[$nextIdx] = array();
$arr[$nextIdx]['#name'] = strtolower((string)$elementName);
$arr[$nextIdx]['#attributes'] = array();
$attributes = $node->attributes();
foreach ($attributes as $attributeName => $attributeValue)
{
$attribName = strtolower(trim((string)$attributeName));
$attribVal = trim((string)$attributeValue);
$arr[$nextIdx]['#attributes'][$attribName] = $attribVal;
}
$text = (string)$node;
$text = trim($text);
if (strlen($text) > 0)
{
$arr[$nextIdx]['#text'] = $text;
}
$arr[$nextIdx]['#children'] = array();
convertXmlObjToArr($node, $arr[$nextIdx]['#children']);
}
return;
}
you will get output in this format
Array
(
#name => books
#attributes => array ( )
#children => array
(
array
(
#name => novel
#attributes => array ( author => John Doe )
#children => array
(
array ( #name => title, #attributes => array ( ), #text => John's Novel )
)
)
)
)