XML Parsing

iamalta

This works until I put it into a function, and it broke. I spent hours on it and am not an expert OOP PHP programmer. It just may take you a few minutes to adjust it.

Your help is greatly appreciated in getting it to work.

I need it in a function for a more complex project that will call it as needed. I'll need an array of all the ['headline']['description'] returned which I can make at the end (replace the echo statements).

<?
function parseMyXML() {
$data = '<?xml version="1.0"?>';
$data .= <<<qq
    <news>
        <story>
            <headline> Godzilla Attacks LA! </headline> 
            <description>Equipped with a Japanese Mind-control device, the giant monster has attacked important harbours along the California coast. President to take action. </description>
        </story>
        <story>
            <headline> Bigfoot Spotted at M.I.T. Dining Area </headline> 
            <description>The beast was seen ordering a Snapple in the dining area on Tuesday. In a related story, Kirupa Chinnathambi, an MIT engineering student has been reported missing. </description>
        </story>
        <story>
            <headline> London Angel Saves England </headline> 
            <description>The "London Angel" known only as "Kit" has saved the U.K. yet again. Reports have stated that she destroyed every single Churchill bobble-head dog in the country. A great heartfilled thank you goes out to her. </description>
        </story>
        <story>
            <headline> Six-eyed Man to be Wed to an Eight-armed Woman </headline> 
            <description>Uhhhmmm... No comment really... just a little creepy to see them together... </description>
        </story>
        <story>
            <headline> Ahmed's Birthday Extravaganza! </headline> 
            <description>The gifted youngster's birthday party should be a blast. He is turning thirteen and has requested a large cake, ice cream, and a petting zoo complete with pony rides. </description>
        </story>
    </news> 
qq;

$xml_headline_key = "*NEWS*STORY*HEADLINE";
$xml_description_key = "*NEWS*STORY*DESCRIPTION";

$story_array = array();

$counter = 0;
class xml_story{
    var $headline, $description;
}

function startTag($parser, $data){
    global $current_tag;
    $current_tag .= "*$data";
}

function endTag($parser, $data){
    global $current_tag;
    $tag_key = strrpos($current_tag, '*');
    $current_tag = substr($current_tag, 0, $tag_key);
}

function contents($parser, $data){
    global $current_tag, $xml_headline_key, $xml_description_key, $counter, $story_array;
    switch($current_tag){
        case $xml_headline_key:
            $story_array[$counter] = new xml_story();
            $story_array[$counter]->headline = $data;
            break;
        case $xml_description_key:
            $story_array[$counter]->description = $data;
            $counter++;
            break;
    }
}

$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startTag", "endTag");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "contents");
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
echo '
<html><head>
<title>My Parser</title>
</head>
<body>
';

for($x=0;$x<count($story_array);$x++){
    echo "\t<h2>" . $story_array[$x]->headline . "</h2>\n";
    echo "\t\t\n";
    echo "\t<i>" . $story_array[$x]->description . "</i>\n";
}
echo '</body></html>';

} // end function

Code from http://www.kirupa.com/web/xml_php_parse_intermediate.htm

bradgrafelman

Why are you including the class and funtion definitions inside of the parseMyXML() function definition? Since you never call the parseMyXML() function, those other functions are never defined.

iamalta

Why? I am not an expert OOP PHP programmer.
Can you help me structure this correctly?

iamalta

Sorry - I didn't finish my answer.

I need this in a function for a more complex project that will call it as needed. I'll need an array of all the ['headline']['description'] returned which I can make at the end (replace the echo statements).

The original was a standalone (remove the function parseMyXML(){ and ending } and it works.
I need it as a function returning the said array.

bradgrafelman

The problem has nothing to do with OOP, and as far as I'm concerned your code above really isn't OOP-like at all. You're embedding several function/class definitions inside of the parseXML() function definition, and yet you never call parseXML(). Thus, PHP never executes any of the code inside of that function, meaning it never defines the xml_story class or the three functions after it.

iamalta wrote:
Can you help me structure this correctly?

Not really, since I have no idea what your code is attempting to do.

iamalta

Sorry - I assumed something that I probably should have spelled out.
At the start of the code, above the function, put
parseMyXML();

Then put this in a php file called, "mytest.php".
Upload to your server.
Browse to mytest.php in your browser, using the proper domain preceeding mytest.php.

As I said, I eventually want to return the story_array.
Instead of parseMyXML();, the line will then read
$myarray = parseMyXML();
but this is a test until I can get it to echo properly.

Does this make sense?

Weedpacket

As far as I can see (without looking too closely), everything is there; it's just got this arbitrary "function parseMyXML(){...}" function around it for no apparent reason.

iamalta

I know it's a function. I know it works without the wrapping function. I recognized that in my initial post.
I eventually want to _return an array with all the headline and description.

Instead of parseMyXML();, the first line will eventually read

$myarray = parseMyXML();

but this is a test until I can get it to echo properly.

The xml comes from a third party and will change the content.

This is for a more complex project and the xml parsing is only a minor part of the entire project.