Forcing a SimpleXML Object to a string, regardless of context

Question

Let's say I have some XML like this

<channel>
  <item>
    <title>This is title 1</title>
  </item>
</channel>

The code below does what I want in that it outputs the title as a string

$xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlstring);
echo $xml->channel->item->title;

Here's my problem. The code below doesn't treat the title as a string in that context so I end up with a SimpleXML object in the array instead of a string.

$foo = array( $xml->channel->item->title );

I've been working around it like this

$foo = array( sprintf("%s",$xml->channel->item->title) );

but that seems ugly.

What's the best way to force a SimpleXML object to a string, regardless of context?

Answer 1

Typecast the SimpleXMLObject to a string:

$foo = array( (string) $xml->channel->item->title );

The above code internally calls __toString() on the SimpleXMLObject. This method is not publicly available, as it interferes with the mapping scheme of the SimpleXMLObject, but it can still be invoked in the above manner.

Answer 2

You can use the PHP function

strval();

This function returns the string values of the parameter passed to it.

Answer 3

There is native SimpleXML method SimpleXMLElement::asXML Depending on parameter it writes SimpleXMLElement to xml 1.0 file or just to a string:

$xml = new SimpleXMLElement($string);
$validfilename = '/temp/mylist.xml';
$xml->asXML($validfilename);    // to a file
echo $xml->asXML();             // to a string

Answer 4

Another ugly way to do it:

$foo = array( $xml->channel->item->title."" );

It works, but it's not pretty.

Answer 5

To get XML data into a php array you do this:

// this gets all the outer levels into an associative php array
$header = array();
foreach($xml->children() as $child)
{
  $header[$child->getName()] = sprintf("%s", $child); 
}
echo "<pre>\n";
print_r($header);
echo "</pre>";

To get a childs child then just do this:

$data = array();
foreach($xml->data->children() as $child)
{
  $header[$child->getName()] = sprintf("%s", $child); 
}
echo "<pre>\n";
print_r($data);
echo "</pre>";

You can expand $xml-> through each level until you get what you want You can also put all the nodes into one array without the levels or just about any other way you want it.

Answer 6

The accepted answer actually returns an array containing a string, which isn't exactly what OP requested (a string). To expand on that answer, use:

$foo = [ (string) $xml->channel->item->title ][0];

Which returns the single element of the array, a string.

Answer 7

Try strval($xml->channel->item->title)

Answer 8

Not sure if they changed the visibility of the __toString() method since the accepted answer was written but at this time it works fine for me:

var_dump($xml->channel->item->title->__toString());

OUTPUT:

string(15) "This is title 1"

Answer 9

There is native SimpleXML method SimpleXMLElement::asXML Depending on parameter it writes SimpleXMLElement to xml 1.0 file, Yes

$get_file= read file from path;
$itrate1=$get_file->node;
$html  = $itrate1->richcontent->html;


echo  $itrate1->richcontent->html->body->asXML();
 print_r((string) $itrate1->richcontent->html->body->asXML());

Answer 10

The following is a recursive function that will typecast all single-child elements to a String:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// FUNCTION - CLEAN SIMPLE XML OBJECT
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
function cleanSimpleXML($xmlObject = ''){

    // LOOP CHILDREN
    foreach ($xmlObject->children() as $child) {

        // IF CONTAINS MULTIPLE CHILDREN
        if(count($child->children()) > 1 ){

            // RECURSE
            $child = cleanSimpleXML($child);

        }else{

            // CAST
            $child = (string)$child;

        }

    }

    // RETURN CLEAN OBJECT
    return $xmlObject;

} // END FUNCTION