Forcing a SimpleXML Object to a string, regardless of context

Mark_Biek_305 0
Viewed 88788

Let's say I have some XML like this

<channel>
  <item>
    <title>This is title 1</title>
  </item>
</channel>

The code below does what I want in that it outputs the title as a string

$xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlstring);
echo $xml->channel->item->title;

Here's my problem. The code below doesn't treat the title as a string in that context so I end up with a SimpleXML object in the array instead of a string.

$foo = array( $xml->channel->item->title );

I've been working around it like this

$foo = array( sprintf("%s",$xml->channel->item->title) );

but that seems ugly.

What's the best way to force a SimpleXML object to a string, regardless of context?

simplexml xml php
11 Answers

Typecast the SimpleXMLObject to a string:

$foo = array( (string) $xml->channel->item->title );

The above code internally calls __toString() on the SimpleXMLObject. This method is not publicly available, as it interferes with the mapping scheme of the SimpleXMLObject, but it can still be invoked in the above manner.

Aron_115680

You can use the PHP function

strval();

This function returns the string values of the parameter passed to it.

user_2417550

Not sure if they changed the visibility of the __toString() method since the accepted answer was written but at this time it works fine for me:

var_dump($xml->channel->item->title->__toString());

OUTPUT:

string(15) "This is title 1"
user_17674120

There is native SimpleXML method SimpleXMLElement::asXML Depending on parameter it writes SimpleXMLElement to xml 1.0 file, Yes 

$get_file= read file from path;
$itrate1=$get_file->node;
$html  = $itrate1->richcontent->html;


echo  $itrate1->richcontent->html->body->asXML();
 print_r((string) $itrate1->richcontent->html->body->asXML());
user_105630860

Just put the ''. before any variable, it will convert into string.

$foo = array( ''. $xml->channel->item->title );

user_105038170
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