Last updated: Fri, 27 Jun 2008

SimpleXMLElement->addChild()

(PHP 5 >= 5.1.3)

SimpleXMLElement->addChild() — Adds a child element to the XML node

Description

SimpleXMLElement

SimpleXMLElement addChild ( string $name [, string $value [, string $namespace ]] )

Adds a child element to the node and returns a SimpleXMLElement of the child.

Parameters

name: The name of the child element to add.
value: If specified, the value of the child element.
namespace: If specified, the namespace to which the child element belongs.

Return Values

The addChild method returns a SimpleXMLElement object representing the child added to the XML node.

Examples

Example #1 Add attributes and children to a SimpleXML element


<?php

include 'example.php';
 
$sxe = new SimpleXMLElement($xmlstr);
$sxe->addAttribute('type', 'documentary');

$movie = $sxe->addChild('movie');
$movie->addChild('title', 'PHP2: More Parser Stories');
$movie->addChild('plot', 'This is all about the people who make it work.');

$characters = $movie->addChild('characters');
$character  = $characters->addChild('character');
$character->addChild('name', 'Mr. Parser');
$character->addChild('actor', 'John Doe');

$rating = $movie->addChild('rating', '5');
$rating->addAttribute('type', 'stars');
 
echo $sxe->asXML();

?>


Here's a handy workaround to accommodate the lack of a $xml->deleteChild() function. It's not perfect, but it's a start (and it works for what I'm using it for):



<?php

// Workaround by Kobra. http://www.kobrasrealm.net

function simplexml_deleteChild($parent, $childname, $parentname)

{

$temp = simplexml_load_string(str_replace("#","?","<#xml version=\"1.0\"#>\n<".$parentname.">\n</".$parentname.">"));

foreach($parent as $t)

{

  if($t->getName() != $childname)

  {

  $name = $t->getName();

  $value = eval("return \$parent->".$name.";");

  $temp->addChild($t->getName(), $value);

  }

}

return $temp;

}



?>



I have not tested this with multi-level XML files; but like I said, it's a start.

danz at gethitz dot info
29-Jan-2008 05:12


Object cloning ...



So using the 'clone' keyword here lets you work on $new separately, and attributes added to $new don't show up in $sxe



without the 'clone' all changes to $new will be reflected in the larger $sxe tree



                $new = clone $sxe->AddChild("comment",$comment);

                $new->AddAttribute("name",$name);

                $new->AddAttribute("url",$url);

                $new->AddAttribute("ip",$ip);

                $new->AddAttribute("time",$time);

chicken dot ofeathers at gmail dot com
18-Jan-2008 11:57


Correct namespace usage:



<?php

$xml = new SimpleXMLElement('<root xmlns:itunes="http://apple.com"/>');

$n = $xml->addChild("subtitle", "My Subtitle", " http://apple.com");

?>



Incorrect namespace usage:



<?php

$xml = new SimpleXMLElement('<root xmlns:itunes="http://apple.com"/>');

$n = $xml->addChild("subtitle", "My Subtitle", " itunes");

?>



The latter incorrect usage results in the following superfluous xmlns attribute:



<itunes:subtitle xmlns:itunes="itunes">My Subtitle</itunes:subtitle>



Whereas all you want is this:



<itunes:subtitle>My Subtitle</itunes:subtitle>

ron @ rotflol dot cx
10-Jul-2007 09:37


Replacing a node is an easy mod of the simplexml_append



function simplexml_replace(SimpleXMLElement $parent, SimpleXMLElement $new_child){

   $node1 = dom_import_simplexml($parent);

   $dom_sxe = dom_import_simplexml($new_child);

   $node2 = $node1->ownerDocument->importNode($dom_sxe, true);

   $node1->parentNode->replaceChild($node2,$node1);

}

r dot versluis at millipede dot nl
22-May-2007 06:23


<?php

// phpversion <= 5.1.2



function simplexml_addChild($parent, $name, $value=''){

    $new_child = new SimpleXMLElement("<$name>$value</$name>");

    $node1 = dom_import_simplexml($parent);

    $dom_sxe = dom_import_simplexml($new_child);

    $node2 = $node1->ownerDocument->importNode($dom_sxe, true);

    $node1->appendChild($node2);

    return simplexml_import_dom($node2);

}



function simplexml_addAttribute($parent, $name, $value=''){

    $node1 = dom_import_simplexml($parent);

    $node1->setAttribute($name,$value);

    return simplexml_import_dom($node1);

}



?>

l dot j dot peters at student dot utwente dot nl
12-Mar-2007 06:49


Rob Richards and I have come up with a very easy way to append one SimpleXML tree to another:

<?php

function simplexml_append(SimpleXMLElement $parent, SimpleXMLElement $new_child){

   $node1 = dom_import_simplexml($parent);

   $dom_sxe = dom_import_simplexml($new_child);

   $node2 = $node1->ownerDocument->importNode($dom_sxe, true);

   $node1->appendChild($node2);

}

?>

And adding a textnode is also easy:

<?php

//$sxe1 (refers to SimpleXMLElement)

$node1 = dom_import_simplexml($sxe1);

$node1->appendChild(new DOMText("my text"));

?>



Ofcourse, you could use this to extend the SimpleXMLElement class and overwrite and improve the existing addChild function.



Have fun, Luuk Peters.

add a note

SimpleXMLElement->asXML()

SimpleXMLElement->addAttribute()