cascading function calls: why doesn't this work?

[adumas]

Given code snippet 1, does anyone know why code snippet 2 doesn't work while code snippet 3 does? Does PHP support cascading function calls (calling functions off of returned objects in the same line of code)?

<snippet1>

$xml = domxml_open_file(realpath("dataXML.xml"));
$root = $xml->document_element();
$names = $root->get_elements_by_tagname( "firstName" );

</snippet1>

<snippet2>

foreach( $names as $nameElem ) {
$nameValue = $nameElem->first_child()->node_value();
echo $nameValue . "<br />";
}

</snippet2>

<snippet3>

foreach( $names as $nameElem ) {
$nameNode = $nameElem->first_child();
$nameValue = $nameNode->node_value();
echo $nameValue . "<br />";
}

</snippet3>

Thanks!

[poison]

Does PHP support cascading function calls

php5 does
regards