simplexml_file_load - child may not exist

[quasiman]

I'm writing a dropdown menu of countries states/regions, that pulls from an xml file... but some countries don't have a specific state/region (IE Antarctica). If they don't, then the XML file isn't formatted in the same way
There is more to this, but the relevant part is here:

echo "<select name=\"statename\">\n";
echo "<option value=\"\">Select a state</option>\n"; 
			foreach ($statexml->geoname as $statelink)  {
				if(isset($statelink->name)) {
	echo "<option value=\"{$statelink->name}\">{$statelink->name}</option>\n";
	} else {
		echo "<option value=\"none\">none</option>\n";
			}
		}

A state xml with results looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<geonames style="MEDIUM">
<totalResultsCount>51</totalResultsCount>
<geoname>
<name>Alabama</name>
...etc, etc
</geoname>
<geoname>
<name>Alaska</name>
...etc, etc
</geoname>
</geonames>

And an xml with no results looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<geonames>
<status message="no children for Antarctica 6697173" value="15"/>
</geonames>

Saying the 'if(isset($statelink->name)' isn't working, as any country without a state simply doesn't display the 'none' selection, and I get this:

<select name="statename">
<option value="">Select a state</option>
</select>

[johanafm]

That is because there is no $steatelink->geoname elements, which means your foreach loop is never executed and therefor your if/else is never executed.

if (count($statexml->geoname))
{
	# one or more geoname nodes
	foreach (...)
	{

}
}
else
{
	echo "<option value=\"none\">none</option>\n";
}

[quasiman]

Ahha! Thanks, that did it! 🙂