Issues with simplexml_load_file

[flydev]

Hi,

I am having issues using simplexml. I have generated an XML file using PHP (link), and I am trying to load it into a simplexml object using:

$xml = simplexml_load_file("news_headlines_xml.php");

This is generating a parser error:

Warning: simplexml_load_ file() [function.simple xml-load-file]: news_headlines_ xml.php:72: parser error : Start tag expected, '<' not found in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/functions.php on line 5

Warning: simplexml_load_ file() [function.simple xml-load-file]: $xmlString = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>'; in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/functions.php on line 5

It looks as if it's trying to parse the actual PHP script, and not the generated XML. I have set the MIME type on the PHP file to text/xml. Here is the script that generates the XML:

// Begin XML
$xmlString =  '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>';
$xmlString .= "<NEWS>";

// Begin data output
if($getPostCount<count($posts)){
	for($b=0;$b<$getPostCount;$b++){
		$xmlString .= "<ARTICLE>";
		$xmlString .= "<AUTHOR>" . $postArray[$posts[$b]]['poster_name'] . "</AUTHOR>";
		$xmlString .= "<SUBJECT>" . str_replace("\"", "&quot;", $postArray[$posts[$b]]['post_subject']) . "</SUBJECT>";
		$xmlString .= "<TIME>" . $postArray[$posts[$b]]['post_time'] . "</TIME>";
		$xmlString .= "</ARTICLE>";
	}
}
$xmlString .= "</NEWS>";

echo $xmlString;

I am pretty new to XML, is this even possible? If not, what other methods are available to me?

[Atli]

Hi.

That should work fine, yea.

However, the link you gave us isn't outputting anything.
Therefore your simplexml_load_ file call fails, having nothing to parse.

Are you sure the script that generates the XML is working correctly?
Did you perhaps forget to upload it, or uploaded a old version of it?

[flydev]

Doh, I apologize, I was using a work-around, which broke that file...it's back to the way it was, and it looks like a valid XML file =(

[Atli]

Ok. Did that fix the simplexml issue to?

I tried this a simple test on my own server, and it worked fine.
[code=php]<?php
header("content-type: text/plain");

$ex = simplexml_load_ file("http://www.airfrontier va.com/FedEx4/news_headlines_ xml.php");

foreach($ex->ARTICLE as $_article) {
echo "Article: \n";
echo " - Author:\t", $_article->AUTHOR, "\n";
echo " - Subject:\t", $_article->SUBJECT, "\n";
echo " - Time:\t", $_article->TIME, "\n";
}
?>[/code]
And I got these results:

Article: 
 - Author:	Anonymous
 - Subject:	Filing Flight Reports
 - Time:	1213043343
Article: 
 - Author:	FDX250 Fred
 - Subject:	Website Address in Remarks Section of Flightplan
 - Time:	1220920102
Article: 
 - Author:	FDX1032 Jesse
 - Subject:	Pilot Operating Handbook Update
 - Time:	1222778802
Article: 
 - Author:	FDX631 - Renato
 - Subject:	NOTAM - South America - SID CHANGE of HUB Campinas
 - Time:	1224599515
Article: 
 - Author:	FDX631 - Renato
 - Subject:	HUB Campinas (SBKP) VOR PSN/PIR
 - Time:	1227142677

[flydev]

Interesting.... I copied your script to test.php, it errors out the same. I did have to change the path to the file because my server does not allow URL access. Perhaps this is a server issue, or if it's not give in URL format it interprets the file differently? (link)

Warning: simplexml_load_ file() [function.simple xml-load-file]: news_headlines_ xml.php:73: parser error : Start tag expected, '<' not found in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/test.php on line 4

Warning: simplexml_load_ file() [function.simple xml-load-file]: $xmlString = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>'; in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/test.php on line 4

Warning: simplexml_load_ file() [function.simple xml-load-file]: ^ in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/test.php on line 4

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/airfront/public_html/FedEx4/test.php on line 6

[Atli]

If you give it a file path, it will read the file as it is... meaning it will read the PHP code.

If you give it a URL, it will request the file via a HTTP server, which will execute the PHP code and return the output.

[flydev]

I see, i'll petition my provider to enable URL access....thank s so much for your help!

[Atli]

No problem.

But there is an easier solution.
You can include your PHP file into your script and get the value like that.

For example:
[code=php]
<?php
/**
* File: createXML.php
*/
$xmlString = "";
// Insert code to create some XML here

return $xmlString
?>[/code]
[code=php]
<?php
/**
* File: index.php
*/
$xmlString = include("create XML.php");

$parsed = simplexml_load_ string($xmlStri ng);

// etc...
?>[/code]