Last updated: Fri, 15 Aug 2008

SimpleXMLElement->addChild

(No version information available, might be only in CVS)

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();

?>


Easy and fast deleting of a node:



<?php



$oNode = dom_import_simplexml($oSimpleXMLNodeToDelete);

$oNode->parentNode->removeChild($oNode);



?>



The node can have childs, attributes, and be anywhere in your document, it'll get deleted. The deletion will appear immediately in your SimpleXML object after calling removeChild, there's nothing else to do.

kobrasrealm at gmail dot com
29-Jun-2008 09:22


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
30-Jan-2008 02:12


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
19-Jan-2008 08:57


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
11-Jul-2007 04:37


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
23-May-2007 01:23


<?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
13-Mar-2007 02:49


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