Output as external XML

Rollo_Tamasi

the following code runs a query on a database and outputs the results as XML within its self. I have attempted to get the php page to create a file called rss.xml but have failled. I have tried using $file= fopen("rss.xml" , "w"); but my knowlege of PHP wouldn't be the best or anyway near to the level of being able to modify the below page to do as i wish, would someone be able to take a peep at the page please?

<?
header("Content-type: text/xml");
$host = "***********";  

$user = "***********";         

$pass = "***********";              

$database = "***********";       

$linkID = mysql_connect($host, $user, $pass) or die("Could not connect to host.");
mysql_select_db($database, $linkID) or die("Could not find database.");
$query = "SELECT * FROM mynews ";
$result = mysql_query($query, $linkID) or die("Data not found.");


$xml_output = "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"iso-8859-1\"?>\n";
$xml_output .= "<entries>\n";
for ($x = 0; $x < mysql_num_rows($result) ; $x++){
  $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
  $xml_output .= "\t<player>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<name>" . $row['title'] . "</name>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<pos>" . $row['message'] . "</pos>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<dob>" . $row['user'] . "</dob>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<apps>" . $row['content'] . "</apps>\n";
   // Escaping illegal charcters
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("&", "&", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("<", "&lt", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace(">", "&gt", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("\"", "&quote", $row['text']);
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<text>" . $row['text'] . "</text>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t</player>\n";
}
$xml_output .= "</entries>";
print $xml_output;
?>

Errant

You were 50% of the way there, but you need another line in the file code - to write the data to the file. fopen() only opens a file for writing, it doesn't write to it.

Code:

//open the file (clears all content)
$file= fopen('rss.xml' , 'w');

//write data to the file
fputs($file, $xml_output);

//close the file (good coding practice!!)
fclose($file);

Rollo_Tamasi

hi, i ammended the code like this

$file= fopen('rss.xml' , 'w'); 
$xml_output = "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"iso-8859-1\"?>\n";
$xml_output .= "<entries>\n";
for ($x = 0; $x < mysql_num_rows($result) ; $x++){
  $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
  $xml_output .= "\t<player>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<name>" . $row['title'] . "</name>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<pos>" . $row['message'] . "</pos>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<dob>" . $row['user'] . "</dob>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<apps>" . $row['content'] . "</apps>\n";
   // Escaping illegal charcters
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("&", "&", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("<", "&lt", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace(">", "&gt", $row['text']);
   $row ['text'] = str_replace("\"", "&quote", $row['text']);
  $xml_output .= "\t\t<text>" . $row['text'] . "</text>\n";
  $xml_output .= "\t</player>\n";

}
$xml_output .= "</entries>";
fputs($file, $xml_output);
 fclose($file); 
?>

but i'm getting....

XML Parsing Error: no element found
Location: http://www.pixelscience.it/test.php
Line Number 1, Column 2:
-

....as an error message, it still seems to be rendering the xml within the php file, the files permissons is set to 777 btw.

Errant

Thats a problem with your xml syntax. The first line is wrong, replace the " around the string with ' and then you don't need to escape the internal quotes:

$xml_output = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>\n';

Thats about the only thing I can think of as being wrong, the file is saving tho as far as I can see!!

Rollo_Tamasi

its outputting the file now alright however when the php file compiles it still gives an error stating

XML Parsing Error: no element found
Location: http://www.pixelscience.it/test.php
Line Number 1, Column 2:
-

and would anyone know how i could it to output
<rrs version=2> just below the <xml> tag so as to make it a rss feed?

Errant

hmm odd, what is the XML output (including the headers) can you post it here

Errant

As to the RSS you can't publish that as RSS, it needs to folow a specified format. See this link to find out about it:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

Rollo_Tamasi

Errant wrote:
hmm odd, what is the XML output (including the headers) can you post it here

xml file wrote:
−
<entries>
−
<player>
<name>This</name>
<pos>This</pos>
<dob>cormacmoylan</dob>
<apps>This</apps>
<text/>
</player>
−
<player>
<name>my</name>
<pos>my</pos>
<dob>cormacmoylan</dob>
<apps>my</apps>
<text/>
</player>
−

</entries>

i will take a look at that rss link, cheers

Errant

Ok this bit:

Seems to me you want:

<text>content</text>
</player>

Right? so that is where the error is in your code!! It's probably this line:

$row ['text'] = str_replace("\"", "&quote", $row['text']);

try using this instead which removes the need for the escape thing which might be causing problems:

$row ['text'] = str_replace('"', "&quote", $row['text']);

Rollo_Tamasi

thanks for all your help mate, i have the xml file now reading as an rss file. After taking a glimpse of that article you posted i altered the tags in the php file to reflect a rss feed so i now have

<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<item>
<title>This</title>
<author>cormacmoylan</author>
<link/>
<category>This</category>
<description>This</description>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

....as my rss/xml file. I still have a problem with that php file rendering a xml error thou, which is odd. I might just put a instant redirect on the page or something to avoid looking at the error. Take the easy way out 😉

Errant

it might possibly be just to do with the lack of a style sheet (unlikely tho). If it doesn't affect the output then I wouldn't worry!!