xml parsing with php - php

Question

I would like to create a new simplified xml based on an existing one:
(using "simpleXml")
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xls:XLS>
<xls:RouteInstructionsList>
<xls:RouteInstruction>
<xls:Instruction>Start</xls:Instruction>
</xls:RouteInstruction>
</xls:RouteInstructionsList>
<xls:RouteInstructionsList>
<xls:RouteInstruction>
<xls:Instruction>End</xls:Instruction>
</xls:RouteInstruction>
</xls:RouteInstructionsList>
</xls:XLS>
Because there are always colons in the element-tags, it will mess with "simpleXml", I tried to use the following solution->link.
How can I create a new xml with this structure:
<main>
<instruction>Start</instruction>
<instruction>End</instruction>
</main>
the "instruction-element" gets its content from the former "xls:Instruction-element".
Here is the updated code:
But unfortunately it never loops through:
$source = "route.xml";
$xmlstr = file_get_contents($source);
$xml = #simplexml_load_string($xmlstr);
$new_xml = simplexml_load_string('<main/>');
foreach($xml->children() as $child){
print_r("xml_has_childs");
$new_xml->addChild('instruction', $child->RouteInstruction->Instruction);
}
echo $new_xml->asXML();
there is no error-message, if I leave the "#"…

Answer 1

/* the use of # is to suppress warning */
$xml = #simplexml_load_string($YOUR_RSS_XML);
$new_xml = simplexml_load_string('<main/>');
foreach ($xml->children() as $child)
{
$new_xml->addChild('instruction', $child->RouteInstruction->Instruction);
}
/* to print */
echo $new_xml->asXML();

Answer 2

You could use xpath to simplify things. Without knowing the full details, I don't know if it will work in all cases:
$source = "route.xml";
$xmlstr = file_get_contents($source);
$xml = #simplexml_load_string($xmlstr);
$new_xml = simplexml_load_string('<main/>');
foreach ($xml->xpath('//Instruction') as $instr) {
$new_xml->addChild('instruction', (string) $instr);
}
echo $new_xml->asXML();
Output:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<main><instruction>Start</instruction><instruction>End</instruction></main>
Edit: The file at http://www.gps.alaingroeneweg.com/route.xml is not the same as the XML you have in your question. You need to use a namespace like:
$xml = #simplexml_load_string(file_get_contents('http://www.gps.alaingroeneweg.com/route.xml'));
$xml->registerXPathNamespace('xls', 'http://www.opengis.net/xls'); // probably not needed
$new_xml = simplexml_load_string('<main/>');
foreach ($xml->xpath('//xls:Instruction') as $instr) {
$new_xml->addChild('instruction', (string) $instr);
}
echo $new_xml->asXML();
Output:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<main><instruction>Start (Southeast) auf Sihlquai</instruction><instruction>Fahre rechts</instruction><instruction>Fahre halb links - Ziel erreicht!</instruction></main>