PHP - Converting XML to array misses some information from XML string

Question

I am using curl to get an external XML document and convert it to an array.

The code works almost perfect, apart from one node in the XML isn't being processed and put in my array.

Under <drivers> there is a code for each driver: <driver code="TM1"> but this doesn't get picked up by my array as an @attribute array like the others such as <collection date="20160324">

Does anybody know why this is happening?

XML:

<findit xmlns="http://www.URL.COM" version="8" type="TIX" date="20160323">
 <account code="XXXXXX">
 <customers>
 <customer code="12345">
 <status code="0">Success</status>
 <logistic-jobs>
 <logistic-job id="12345" date="20160324" status="PLA" modified="201603231420">
 <number>
 <number1>479599</number1>
 <number3>11221</number3>
 </number>
 <collection date="20160324" time="0500">
 <name>JOHN SMITH</name>
 <address1>UNIT 3 DAVEY ROAD</address1>
 <address2>FIELDS END BUSINESS PARK</address2>
 <address3>GOLDTHORPE</address3>
 <address4>ROTHERHAM</address4>
 <address5>S63 0JF</address5>
 </collection>
 <delivery date="20160324" time="1200">
 <address1>EXAMPLE</address1>
 <address2>GLENEAFLES FARM</address2>
 <address3>GLENEAGLES CLOSE</address3>
 <address4>STANWELL, MIDDLESEX</address4>
 <address5>TW19 7PD</address5>
 </delivery>
 <extra>
 <address1>45FT C/SIDER</address1>
 <address2>No</address2>
 <address4>CEMENT</address4>
 </extra>
 <drivers>
 <driver code="TM1">DAVE SMITH (DAYS)</driver>
 </drivers>
 <load weight="27600.00" volume="0.00">
 <pallets full="23" half="0" quarter="0" blue="0" oversize="0"/>
 </load>
 </logistic-job>
 </logistic-jobs>
 </customer>
</customers>
</account>
</findit>

PHP:

$job_array = json_decode(json_encode(simplexml_load_string($xml)), true);
if(is_array($job_array['account']['customers']['customer'])) {
 // Foreach customer in array
 foreach($job_array['account']['customers']['customer'] as $i => $customer) {
 // If status is set to success
 if($customer['status'] == "Success") {
 // For each job
 foreach($customer['logistic-jobs']['logistic-job'] as $i => $job) {
 echo '<pre>'; print_r($job); echo '</pre>';
 }
 }
 }
}

OUTPUT:

Array
(
[@attributes] => Array
 (
 [id] => 12345
 [date] => 20160324
 [status] => PLA
 [modified] => 201603231420
 )
[number] => Array
 (
 [number1] => 479599
 [number3] => 11221
 )
[collection] => Array
 (
 [@attributes] => Array
 (
 [date] => 20160324
 [time] => 0500
 )
 [name] => JOHN SMITH
 [address1] => UNIT 3 DAVEY ROAD
 [address2] => FIELDS END BUSINESS PARK
 [address3] => GOLDTHORPE
 [address4] => ROTHERHAM
 [address5] => S63 0JF
 )
[delivery] => Array
 (
 [@attributes] => Array
 (
 [date] => 20160324
 [time] => 1200
 )
 [address1] => EXAMPLE
 [address2] => GLENEAFLES FARM
 [address3] => GLENEAGLES CLOSE
 [address4] => STANWELL, MIDDLESEX
 [address5] = TW19 7PD
 )
[extra] => Array
 (
 [address1] => 45FT C/SIDER
 [address2] => No
 [address4] => CEMENT
 )
[drivers] => Array
 (
 [driver] => DAVE SMITH (DAYS)
 )
[load] => Array
 (
 [@attributes] => Array
 (
 [weight] => 21509.00
 [volume] => 0.00
 )
 [pallets] => Array
 (
 [@attributes] => Array
 (
 [full] => 52
 [half] => 0
 [quarter] => 0
 [blue] => 0
 [oversize] => 0
 )
 )
 )
)

• xmike: I think this will be somewhat helpful
• Scott Bowers: Thanks for your reply @xmike but I have already tried this and it still hasn't given me the 'code' that I need.

Answer 1

I have a simple answer for you: don't convert XML to an array. SimpleXML has a really useful API for traversing through the XML document and finding the data you want; throw away the horrible json_decode(json_encode( hack and look at the examples in the PHP manual.

In this case, echo $driver would give you the contents (driver name) and echo $driver['code'] would give you the attribute value; clearly, a plain array can't have that convenient magic, which is why converting to one is giving you problems.

Just remember that print_r will also hide things from you, and you might want a dedicated debugging function.

Here's an example (with live demo) of getting the code and name of each driver:

$job_simple = simplexml_load_string($xml);
if(isset($job_simple->account->customers->customer)) {
 // Foreach customer in array
 foreach($job_simple->account->customers->customer as $i => $customer) {
 // If status is set to success
 if((string)$customer->status == "Success") {
 // For each job
 foreach($customer->{'logistic-jobs'}->{'logistic-job'} as $i => $job) {
 echo "<ul>\n";
 foreach ( $job->drivers->driver as $driver ) {
 echo "<li> {$driver['code']}: $driver\n";
 }
 echo "</ul>\n";
 }
 }
 }
}