array-xml

Because DOMDocument and SimpleXML sucks

• Easily build XML with associative arrays
• Succinct syntax for naming child elements, adding attributes, and more
• You can combine with DOMDocument if you really have to

Examples

• Easy to create attributes
• Children takes name from parent by default

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order@version=2.0' => [
'ID@type=SKU' => 1234,
'Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
]
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Orderversion="2.0">
<IDtype="SKU">1234</ID>
<Lines>
<Line>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<Line>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
</Lines>
</Order>

• Using | you can specify a differnt name of the children

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Lines|OrderLine' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
]
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Lines>
<OrderLine>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</OrderLine>
<OrderLine>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</OrderLine>
</Lines>
</Order>

• Using name_mappers you can use, index and child values to construct the child element name and attributes

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
],
[
'name_mappers' => [
'Line' => function ($name, $index, $value) {
return$name . '@number=' . ($index + 1);
}
]
]
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Lines>
<Linenumber="1">
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<Linenumber="2">
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
</Lines>
</Order>

• "Flatten" the parent element and put its children in its place using <.

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
// Node names will be 'Line''<Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
],
// Node name will be 'Lines'// (some XSDs actually pluralize 'things' 🤦)'<Foo|Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
],
],
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Line>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<Line>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
<Lines>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Lines>
<Lines>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Lines>
</Order>

• Some parts are hard to model using arrays so you can "patch" with a DOMDocument

$complex_dom = ...;
ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'<complexdom' => $complexdom
],
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Linenumber="1">
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<LineComment>Wrap well</LineComment>
<Linenumber="2">
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
<LineComment/>
</Order>

• Namespaces are just part of the name + an attribute on the root element.

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order@ns=...@ecom=...' => [
'ns:ID' => 1234,
'<ecom:Lines' => [
['ecom:item' => 'ABC', 'ecom:qty' => 3],
['ecom:item' => 'DEF', 'ecom:qty' => 1],
]
],
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ns:Orderns="..."ecom="...">
<ns:ID>1234</ns:ID>
<ecom:Linenumber="1">
<ecom:item>ABC</ecom:item>
<ecom:qty>3</ecom:qty>
</ecom:Line>
<ecom:Linenumber="2">
<ecom:item>DEF</ecom:item>
<ecom:qty>1</ecom:qty>
</ecom:Line>
</ns:Order>

• In cases you need a DOMDocument use toDOM

ArrayToXML::toDOM(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
]
);

• lets you set the version and encoding of the XML

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
],
[
'version' => '1.2',
'encoding' => 'utf8'
]
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.2" encoding="utf8"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Lines>
<Line>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<Line>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
</Lines>
</Order>

• Setting declare to false will exclude the XML declaration at the top

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Lines' => [
['item' => 'ABC', 'qty' => 3],
['item' => 'DEF', 'qty' => 1],
]
],
[ 'declare' => false ]
);

Yields:

<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Lines>
<Line>
<item>ABC</item>
<qty>3</qty>
</Line>
<Line>
<item>DEF</item>
<qty>1</qty>
</Line>
</Lines>
</Order>

• Conveniently create CDATA

ArrayToXML::toXML(
'Order' => [
'ID' => 1234,
'Comment' => 'cdata:foo',
]
);

Yields:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Order>
<ID>1234</ID>
<Comment><![CDATA[foo]]></Comment>
</Order>