Geeking: How to Parse XML Better with PHP 5

By Brice Dunwoodie | Published Mar 2, 2007

We don't always characterize IBM's written word as concise nor clear. However the output from their Developer Works group is another matter. These articles are consistently useful, to the point, and consumable. Their latest is part one of a three part series covering the notable XML-oriented enhancements native to PHP 5. It focuses on SimpleXML and the DOM.

The article — entitled “The 15-minute PHP-with-XML Starter” — demonstrates how SimpleXML, in combination with the DOM, is the ideal choice for developers working with straightforward, predictable, and relatively small XML documents. PHP 5 has vastly improved the developer's ability to work with XML in PHP.

SimpleXML is a relatively simple and very usable PHP 5 extension used to convert XML from strings to native PHP objects that can be processed with normal property selectors and list iterators. The extension requires PHP 5 and is enabled by default.

In related PHP news, the latest PHP 5 release was unwrapped earlier this month. Version 5.2.1 is a significant stability and security enhancement of the 5.x branch, and the PHP team are strongly encouraging production users to apply the update.