[RESOLVED] Confused by conflicting PHP/XML Documentation

[tcarnes]

I am trying to learn how to take a large XML file, edit all references to embedded images, and then render it to the browser. I have found some tutorials that have helped me with parts of this, but to get all the pieces I have turned to online documentation. That's where I am having problems.

For example, at one site there is reference to DomDocument->get_elements_by_tagname() (with underscores), yet at another site the reference is to DOMDocument->getElementsByTagName() (without underscores).

Can anyone tell me what is going on here? Where is the definitive manual that will help me to know what methods are at my disposal?

In my code the latter method (without the underscores) is the one that works. Does that mean I need to stay clear of all the methods mentioned on the php.net site? But I thought they were the standard?

Help! 😕

[laserlight]

Use the version of the PHP manual from php.net as it is likely to be more updated.

[tcarnes]

That's what I would have thought. Which is why I was surprised that the php.net version (with the underscores) didn't work. Here is my code that works so far:

$dom = new DOMDocument();
if ($dom->load("accuretic.xml") === false)
{
	echo '<p>XML Document failed to load.</p>';
}
else
{
	echo '<p>XML Document loaded.</p>';
	$mediaImages = $dom->getElementsByTagName("observationMedia");
	foreach ($mediaImages as $node) {
		$nodeId = $node->getAttributeNode("ID")->value;
		echo 'ID value: '.$nodeId;
	}
}

When I switch to the convention mentioned on php.net (get_elements_by_tagname), then it doesn't work anymore.

[laserlight]

What version of PHP are you using? As the "No version information available, might be only in CVS" note says, this is an unstable interface.

[tcarnes]

PHP Version 5.2.4
dom
DOM/XML enabled
DOM/XML API Version 20031129
libxml Version 2.6.28
HTML Support enabled
XPath Support enabled
XPointer Support enabled
Schema Support enabled
RelaxNG Support enabled
libxml
libXML support active
libXML Version 2.6.28
libXML streams enabled
SimpleXML
Simplexml support enabled
Revision $Revision: 1.151.2.22.2.35 $
Schema support enabled
xml
XML Support active
XML Namespace Support active
libxml2 Version 2.6.28

[laserlight]

Okay, read the PHP manual's listing of XML manipulation libraries. The documentation that you were looking at is the DOM XML extension for PHP 4. The documentation that you should be looking at is the Document Object Model extension for PHP 5.

[tcarnes]

laserlight;10900644 wrote:

As the "No version information available, might be only in CVS" note says, this is an unstable interface.

Is there a stable interface I should be using?

[laserlight]

tcarnes wrote:

Is there a stable interface I should be using?

As I noted in my previous reply, it turns out that you were looking at the wrong section of the PHP manual.

[tcarnes]

Thanks, laserlight! I'm working through the documentation you pointed me to now. That's the problem with using Google for looking for PHP/XML document - you never know where it will take you. Evidently I was taken to the wrong section of the manual which got me started on the wrong foot. Thanks for setting me straight.

[laserlight]

You're welcome 🙂
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