Getting tags' info from XML files

[javier_st]

Hello, I'm working on a script to upload flash movies to my site, and then displaying them on automatically generated php pages.
So far I figured out how to create the xml files with the info from a form filled out previously.
The thing is, how to 'extract' that info to show it on a new php page?

The XML generated files look something like this;

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<archivo name="test.swf" site="http://javiersaldana.iespana.es/animations/" width="550" height="400">
<info>
<movie title="prueba"/>
<movie autor="javier"/>
<movie comment="Alla en la fuente habia un chorrito, se hacia grandote y se hacia chiquito. Estaba de mal humor, pobre chorrito; tenia calor."/>
</info>
</archivo>

Then, on php I tried this:

////////////////////////////////////////////////// 
///Script by javier saldana
////////////////////////////////////////////////// 
$movie = $_REQUEST['movie']; 
$movie = trim($movie);
$foldermovie = "-pathtofolder-/animations/xmls/";
$file = "$foldermovie$movie.xml"; 
$f = @fopen($file, "r"); 
if (!$movie) 
{ 
} 
else if (!$f) 
{ 
print("<font color=\"red\"><b>El archivo $movie no existe<b></font><br><br>\n\n"); // file doesn't exist
} else 
{ 
$contents = fread($f, filesize($file)); 
$tags = explode("<", $contents); 
$name = ""; 
$width = 0; 
$heigth = 0; 
$title = ""; 
$comment = ""; 
foreach($tags as $tag) 
{ 
if (substr($tag, 0, 6) == "archivo") 
{ 
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "name=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$name = $temp[1]; 
} 
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "site=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$site = $temp[1]; 
} 
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "width=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$width = $temp[1]; 
} 
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "height=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$height = $temp[1]; 
} 
} 
if (substr($tag, 0, 6) == "movie") 
{ 
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "title=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$title = $temp[1]; 
}
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "autor=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$autor = $temp[1]; 
}
if ($temppos = stristr($tag, "comment=\"")) 
{ 
$temp = explode("\"", $temppos); 
$comment = $temp[1]; 
}  

}
} 

Note: that's not the full script on php, that's only the part that is supossed to get the information off the XML file.

Any ideas of what's wrong here?

Maybe the problem is the XML file itself, I had never worked with XML before.

[bpat1434]

PHP5 Use SimpleXML to do what you want
PHP4 use the XML DOM if it's available to you 😉

Other than that, you'd need to write your own parser that will loop through each section (looking for opening and closing tags) and then in the section loop through each line (each line being separated by "\n" or "\r\n") and match that to a pattern to extract your info.

[javier_st]

Thanks for the reply, I did solve it a while ago using simplexml_load_string, too bad I didn't see your response then u.u

It works perfectly on my computer, but when I upload it to my webserver thing it doesn't work T_T

I get this error:

Fatal error: Call to undefined function: simplexml_load_string() in /www/-pathtofolder-/movie.php on line 23

Any ideas of what causes that/how to solve it?

[bpat1434]

it's not an included extension in the PHP installation.... load it dynamically or ask your host to enable it.

[javier_st]

Where can I get more information about loading this extension?

Thanks again, Any help appreciated.

[Weedpacket]

On the [man]simplexml[/man] manual page; the sections on Requirements and Installation.

[javier_st]

Yeh, saw that already u.u but didn't help. It says it's enabled by default, so I guess that my host disabled it.

Does anyone know the name of the extension? I mean I know I have to load it dynamically, but what's exactly it x_x

[bpat1434]

The SimpleXML extension requires PHP 5.

I figure that you have php5 at least

First you want to check if it's loaded:

if(!extension_loaded('simplexml')
    // Nope, not loaded
else
    // Already been loaded ;)

THen you want to load it dynamically if it's not loaded:

if(!extension_loaded('simplexml')
{
    if(strtoupper(substr(PHP_OS, 0, 3)) === 'WIN')
        dl('php_simplexml.dll');
    else
        dl('simplexml.so');
}

// NOw that it should be loaded, we'll check again:
if(extension_loaded('simplexml'))
    echo 'simpleXML was included properly!!';
else
    echo 'simpleXML still wasn't included :(';
}

Hope that helps...

[javier_st]

Warning: dl(): Dynamically loaded extentions aren't enabled in /www/sites/-pathtofolder-/site/simplexml.php on line 7
simpleXML still wasn't included 🙁

Thanks for the script though 🙂 might be useful on other hosts. If you know of any good hosts please tell me :$

[bpat1434]

bitesites.com
hostrocket.com
rackspace.com (can't beat your own server 🙂 )
hostgator.com
hostexellence.com
ixwebhosting.com

That's just to name a few 😉

[javier_st]

Maybe I should have been more specific u.u
Know any good free hosts (:$)? My site is not even that big yet u.u Im basically learning to use php, I dont want to pay for a 'hobby' u.u

[javier_st]

Bleh, I gave up on that, every free host has simpleXML disabled.
I decided to redirect my site to my computer, but getting the xml information off my webhost.
Unfortunately, I'm having a lot of troubles with that u.u

Now the question is, Anyone knows how can I get (from my computer, running xampp) information off an XML file off a webhost?

I tried

if (($_GET['movie']) or $_REQUEST['movie'])  { 
$movie = $_GET['movie']; 
$movie = $_REQUEST['movie']; 
$foldermovie = "http://path/to/folder/xmls/";
$file = "$foldermovie$movie.xml"; 
if(file_exists($file)) 
{ 
$movieXML = simplexml_load_string(file_get_contents($file)); 
$name = $movieXML->archivo['name'];  

$width = $movieXML->archivo['width']; 
$height = $movieXML->archivo['height'];
$site = $movieXML->archivo['site'];  

$title = $movieXML->movie['title']; 
$autor = $movieXML->movie['autor']; 
$comment = $movieXML->movie['comment']; 

(Again, that's not the full code.)
The problem here is that I get that the file doesn't exists, when it actually does.

It might be because the XML file and the PHP file that calls it are on separate computers.
How can I get the contents off an XML file from a different computer? (HTTP site)
Do I have to use any special functions to do it?

Once again, thankyou for your responses, I hope you can help me out.

[Weedpacket]

I was just wondering if you ever asked your host if you could have it turned on....

javier_st wrote:

The problem here is that I get that the file doesn't exists

file_exists() doesn't work on http: URLs. (The manual actually says this, although it may be a bit obscure; it involves looking at both [man]file_exists[/man] and [man]wrappers.http[/man].
Use @[man]fopen[/man] instead; if the file isn't found it will return false (and the @ is to stop it triggering a warning as well).

[javier_st]

It's good to know it, thanks 🙂 Although I achieved what I wanted in a different way.
This script is getting even more complex u.u I got a lot of doubts atm so I'm going to ask a few of them;

How my script works at the moment:
1. You fill out a form, with the movie info and the FTP info (since I've been switching between a lot of webhosts lately, it was better this way).
2. When you click submit, the following happens:
- The SWF file is uploaded via FTP to my host.
- An XML file is created on my computer [note: inside the htdocs folder (I'm using xampp)]
- An existing XML file in my computer is modified, there are three lists, for three authors, each list with the author's respective movies (name and link of every movie). Each time I upload a movie, it gets the author's name and puts the XML tag on the respective list.
- That XML list is retrieved by the corresponding author's page, showing his movies and the link to them.

Kinda complex hu u.u at least for me I guess, don't know that much about PHP yet.
Anyway, the problem is, since I have the SWF files in the internet, and the XML files locally, I retrieve the information with a local page (remember, all this was because I cant use the simpleXML extension on any of my website hosts), but obviously, I see it with [url]http://localhost:port/-pathtomovie/[/url] and other people through my IP.
Is there anyway to make it available on the same address? So I don't have to keep changing the address bar from my IP to 'localhost'.

I know it sounds 'lazy' but it's not because I am, it's because I want to learn how to do it.

EDIT: Decided to run my website from my computer, using only my host to store the SWF files, since those take a long time to load if I do it locally (to other people).
If you know of any other way to do what I want to, or know of any reasons to not do what I did, please tell me.

EDIT2: More questions u.u
-If I have;

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<movies>
<movie name="-name1-" serie="-serie1-" link="-path-/view.php?movie=-name-"/>
<movie name="-name2-" serie="-serie2-" link="-path-/view.php?movie=-name-"/>
<movie name="-name3-" serie="-serie1-" link="-path-/view.php?movie=-name-"/>
</movies>

How can I print them like this?:
-Serie 1-

name 1
name 3

-Serie 2-

name 2

So far I got this:

$file = "-path-/list.xml";
$xml = simplexml_load_file($file) or die ("No se pudo cargar el archivo XML");

foreach ($xml->movie as $movie) {
if ($movie['serie'] == "-serie1-") {
        echo '<span class="style1">'.$movie['-serie1-'].'</span><br />';;
    }
	echo '<a href=javascript:popup("'.$movie['link'].'");>&raquo; '.$movie['name'].'</a><br>';
	}

It obviously doesn't work, so far I've only uploaded from one serie, so that works if I type -serie1- in the first movie and leave the rest movies' "serie" spaces blank.

Thanks again u.u any help appreciated.

[bpat1434]

You may think about changing your XML structure to be:

<movies>
<series title="series-1">
  <movie name="name-1" link="path/to/movie.php?movie=-name1" />
  <movie name="name-3" link="path/to/movie.php?movie=-name-3" />
</series>
<series title="series-2">
  <movies name="name-2" link="path/to/movie.php?movie=-name-2" />
</series>
</movies>

[javier_st]

Yeah but err then it would be more complex to get each new movie into the right category to the new XML, AND if the movie doesn't belong to a series it would also be a problem, wouldnt it?

Was thinking about how could I do that with a form. The point of this script is to avoid changing files manually, just filling a form.

I was thinking maybe of something like

<movie name="name1" serie="serie1" serieID="1" link="path/view.php?movie=name1"/>

And then on php maybe

If $movie['serieID'] > 1, print $movie['serie']

But still, I don't know how could I print it as I want to

-Serie 1-

name 1
name 3

-Serie 2-

name 2

Isn't there some kind of array that could help me do it without making the xml file more complex?

[bpat1434]

Your code is either going to be confusing and ugly with ifs and such, OR your XML is going to become complex. This sounds like an instance where a databsae would be a perfect solution. Then you coud query aginst the table and get them ordered by Series and then name 😉

[javier_st]

Database u.u sounds like it's going to take more time.
Thanks for the support Going to see what I come up with.

If anyone knows how to do what I said on my previous post, please keep replying.

[bpat1434]

Database u.u sounds like it's going to take more time.

Actually, would take less. Set up database, insert values. Then you can write simple easy queries to update, delete, move and what not. Depending upon how segregated you want to make everything, you might have something as simple as this:

• Movies

  • MOVIE_ID integer (11) NOT NULL auto_increment PRIMARY KEY

  • title varchar (75) NOT NULL ?Full Text?

  • series varchar (75) NOT NULL ?Full Text?

  • link varchar (255) NOT NULL

Or if you wanted it even more segregated, and have it so you could edit a series name, and have it filter down everywhere:

• Series

  • SERIES_ID integer (11) NOT NULL auto_increment PRIMARY KEY

  • name varchar (32) NOT NULL

• Movies

  • MOVIE_ID integer (11) NOT NULL auto_increment PRIMARY KEY

  • SERIES_ID integer (11) FOREIGN KEY (to Series)

  • title varchar (75) NOT NULL

  • link varchar (255) NOT NULL

So it's not that hard. Instead of writing to a text-file, you've got a searchable list and one that is easier to maintain than an XML file 😉

[javier_st]

Thanks a lot 🙂 I'll look for more information on databases then.