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DOM XML
PHP Manual

DOM XML Functions

Deprecated functions

There are quite a few functions that do not fit into the DOM standard and should no longer be used. These functions are listed in the following table. The function DomNode_append_child() has changed its behaviour. It now adds a child and not a sibling. If this breaks your application, use the non-DOM function DomNode_append_sibling().

Deprecated functions and their replacements
Old function New function
xmldoc domxml_open_mem()
xmldocfile domxml_open_file()
domxml_new_xmldoc domxml_new_doc()
domxml_dump_mem DomDocument_dump_mem()
domxml_dump_mem_file DomDocument_dump_file()
DomDocument_dump_mem_file DomDocument_dump_file()
DomDocument_add_root DomDocument_create_element() followed by DomNode_append_child()
DomDocument_dtd DomDocument_doctype()
DomDocument_root DomDocument_document_element()
DomDocument_children DomNode_child_nodes()
DomDocument_imported_node No replacement.
DomNode_add_child Create a new node with e.g. DomDocument_create_element() and add it with DomNode_append_child().
DomNode_children DomNode_child_nodes()
DomNode_parent DomNode_parent_node()
DomNode_new_child Create a new node with e.g. DomDocument_create_element() and add it with DomNode_append_child().
DomNode_set_content Create a new node with e.g. DomDocument_create_text_node() and add it with DomNode_append_child().
DomNode_get_content Content is just a text node and can be accessed with DomNode_child_nodes().
DomNode_set_content Content is just a text node and can be added with DomNode_append_child().

Classes

The API of the module follows the DOM Level 2 standard as closely as possible. Consequently, the API is fully object-oriented. It is a good idea to have the DOM standard available when using this module. Though the API is object-oriented, there are many functions which can be called in a non-object-oriented way by passing the object to operate on as the first argument. These functions are mainly to retain compatibility to older versions of the extension, and should not be used when creating new scripts.

This API differs from the official DOM API in two ways. First, all class attributes are implemented as functions with the same name. Secondly, the function names follow the PHP naming convention. This means that a DOM function lastChild() will be written as last_child().

This module defines a number of classes, which are listed - including their method - in the following tables. Classes with an equivalent in the DOM standard are named DOMxxx.

List of classes
Class name Parent classes
DomAttribute DomNode
DomCData DomNode
DomComment DomCData : DomNode
DomDocument DomNode
DomDocumentType DomNode
DomElement DomNode
DomEntity DomNode
DomEntityReference DomNode
DomProcessingInstruction DomNode
DomText DomCData : DomNode
Parser Currently still called DomParser
XPathContext  

DomDocument class (DomDocument : DomNode)
Method name Function name Remark
doctype DomDocument_doctype()  
document_element DomDocument_document_element()  
create_element DomDocument_create_element()  
create_text_node DomDocument_create_text_node()  
create_comment DomDocument_create_comment()  
create_cdata_section DomDocument_create_cdata_section()  
create_processing_instruction DomDocument_create_processing_instruction()  
create_attribute DomDocument_create_attribute()  
create_entity_reference DomDocument_create_entity_reference()  
get_elements_by_tagname DomDocument_get_elements_by_tagname()  
get_element_by_id DomDocument_get_element_by_id()  
dump_mem DomDocument_dump_mem() not DOM standard
dump_file DomDocument_dump_file() not DOM standard
html_dump_mem DomDocument_html_dump_mem() not DOM standard
xpath_init xpath_init not DOM standard
xpath_new_context xpath_new_context not DOM standard
xptr_new_context xptr_new_context not DOM standard

DomElement class (DomElement : DomNode)
Method name Function name Remark
tagname DomElement_tagname()  
get_attribute DomElement_get_attribute()  
set_attribute DomElement_set_attribute()  
remove_attribute DomElement_remove_attribute()  
get_attribute_node DomElement_get_attribute_node()  
set_attribute_node DomElement_set_attribute_node()  
get_elements_by_tagname DomElement_get_elements_by_tagname()  
has_attribute DomElement_has_attribute()  

DomNode class
Method name Remark
DomNode_node_name()  
DomNode_node_value()  
DomNode_node_type()  
DomNode_last_child()  
DomNode_first_child()  
DomNode_child_nodes()  
DomNode_previous_sibling()  
DomNode_next_sibling()  
DomNode_parent_node()  
DomNode_owner_document()  
DomNode_insert_before()  
DomNode_append_child()  
DomNode_append_sibling() Not in DOM standard. This function emulates the former behaviour of DomNode_append_child().
DomNode_remove_child()  
DomNode_has_child_nodes()  
DomNode_has_attributes()  
DomNode_clone_node()  
DomNode_attributes()  
DomNode_unlink_node() Not in DOM standard
DomNode_replace_node() Not in DOM standard
DomNode_set_content() Not in DOM standard, deprecated
DomNode_get_content() Not in DOM standard, deprecated
DomNode_dump_node() Not in DOM standard
DomNode_is_blank_node() Not in DOM standard

DomAttribute class (DomAttribute : DomNode)
Method name   Remark
name DomAttribute_name()  
value DomAttribute_value()  
specified DomAttribute_specified()  

DomProcessingInstruction class (DomProcessingInstruction : DomNode)
Method name Function name Remark
target DomProcessingInstruction_target()  
data DomProcessingInstruction_data()  

Parser class
Method name Function name Remark
add_chunk Parser_add_chunk()  
end Parser_end()  

XPathContext class
Method name Function name Remark
eval XPathContext_eval()  
eval_expression XPathContext_eval_expression()  
register_ns XPathContext_register_ns()  

DomDocumentType class (DomDocumentType : DomNode)
Method name Function name Remark
name DomDocumentType_name()  
entities DomDocumentType_entities()  
notations DomDocumentType_notations()  
public_id DomDocumentType_public_id()  
system_id DomDocumentType_system_id()  
internal_subset DomDocumentType_internal_subset()  

The classes DomDtd is derived from DomNode. DomComment is derived from DomCData.

Examples

Many examples in this reference require an XML string. Instead of repeating this string in every example, it will be put into a file which will be included by each example. This include file is shown in the following example section. Alternatively, you could create an XML document and read it with DomDocument_open_file().

Example #1 Include file example.inc with XML string

<?php
$xmlstr 
"<?xml version='1.0' standalone='yes'?>
<!DOCTYPE chapter SYSTEM '/share/sgml/Norman_Walsh/db3xml10/db3xml10.dtd'
[ <!ENTITY sp \"spanish\">
]>
<!-- lsfj  -->
<chapter language='en'><title language='en'>Title</title>
 <para language='ge'>
  &sp;
  <!-- comment -->
  <informaltable ID='findme' language='&sp;'>
   <tgroup cols='3'>
    <tbody>
     <row><entry>a1</entry><entry
morerows='1'>b1</entry><entry>c1</entry></row>
<row><entry>a2</entry><entry>c2</entry></row>
     <row><entry>a3</entry><entry>b3</entry><entry>c3</entry></row>
    </tbody>
   </tgroup>
  </informaltable>
 </para>
</chapter>"
;
?>

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DOM XML
PHP Manual