PHP, XML, Arrays...news feed...

[jrizzo17]

I have this news feed I got from somewhere I while ago and I am trying to change it.

I am a total newby when it comes to php and xml, but a database is not an option.

If I want to have the news title and a link for "more" to see the rest of the news a link, how would I do it.

The syntax is confusing me...here's my php code...

<?php

class newsboy {
var $xml_parser;
var $xml_file;
var $html;
var $open_tag;
var $close_tag;

//Class Constructor
function newsboy() {
$this->xml_parser = "";
$this->xml_file = "";
$this->html = "";
$this->open_tag = array("NEWSBOY" => "\n<!-- XML Starts here -->\n<TABLE COLS=1 CELLPADDING=5>",
"STORY" => "<TR><TD BGCOLOR=#222222>",
"SLUG" => "<FONT COLOR=#DAA520><B>",
"TEXT" => "</B><FONT COLOR=#FFFFFF>",
"MORE" => "<FONT COLOR=#DAA520>",
"NEWLINE" => "");
$this->close_tag = array("NEWSBOY" => "</TABLE>\n<!-- XML Ends here -->\n\n",
"STORY" => "</TD></TR>",
"SLUG" => "<FONT><BR>",
"TEXT" => "<FONT>\n",

"MORE" => "<FONT>",
"NEWLINE" => "<BR>");
}

//Class Descructor (has to be invoked manually as PHP does not support desctructors)
function destroy() {
xml_parser_free($this->xml_parser);
}

//Class Members
	function concat($str) {
		$this->html .= $str;
	}

	function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
		//global $open_tag;

		if ($format= $this->open_tag[$name]) {
			$this->html .= $format;
		}
	}

	function endElement($parser, $name) {
		global $close_tag;
			if ($format= $this->close_tag[$name]) {	
				$this->html .= $format;
			}
	}

	function characterData($parser, $data) {
		$this->html .= $data;
	}

	function parse() {
		$this->xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
		xml_set_object($this->xml_parser, $this);
		xml_parser_set_option($this->xml_parser, XML_OPTION_CASE_FOLDING, true);
		xml_set_element_handler($this->xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
		xml_set_character_data_handler($this->xml_parser, "characterData");

		if(!($fp = fopen($this->xml_file, "r"))) {
			die("could not open XML input");
		}

		while($data = fread($fp, 4096)) {
			if (!xml_parse($this->xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))) {
				die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d", xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($this->xml_parser)), xml_get_current_line_number($this->xml_parser)));
			}
		}
	}
}

?>

I understand some of it, but have been trying to learn what it's all doing.

Also, does anyone know of a good book or any other reference for php and xml or is this justa self tought thing?

Thanks,
John