SimpleXML Functions
PHP Manual

simplexml_load_string

(PHP 5)

simplexml_load_string Interprets a string of XML into an object

Description

object simplexml_load_string ( string $data [, string $class_name [, int $options [, string $ns [, bool $is_prefix ]]]] )

Takes a well-formed XML string and returns it as an object.

Parameters

data

A well-formed XML string

class_name

You may use this optional parameter so that simplexml_load_string() will return an object of the specified class. That class should extend the SimpleXMLElement class.

options

Since PHP 5.1.0 and Libxml 2.6.0, you may also use the options parameter to specify additional Libxml parameters.

ns

is_prefix

Return Values

Returns an object of class SimpleXMLElement with properties containing the data held within the xml document. On errors, it will return FALSE.

Examples

Example #1 Interpret an XML string

<?php
$string 
= <<<XML
<?xml version='1.0'?> 
<document>
 <title>Forty What?</title>
 <from>Joe</from>
 <to>Jane</to>
 <body>
  I know that's the answer -- but what's the question?
 </body>
</document>
XML;

$xml simplexml_load_string($string);

var_dump($xml);
?>

The above example will output:

SimpleXMLElement Object
(
  [title] => Forty What?
  [from] => Joe
  [to] => Jane
  [body] =>
   I know that's the answer -- but what's the question?
)

At this point, you can go about using $xml->body and such.

See Also


SimpleXML Functions
PHP Manual