README.md

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"?>
<Order version="2.0">
  <ID type="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>
    <Line number="1">
      <item>ABC</item>
      <qty>3</qty>
    </Line>
    <Line number="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>
  <Line number="1">
    <item>ABC</item>
    <qty>3</qty>
  </Line>
  <LineComment>Wrap well</LineComment>
  <Line number="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:Order ns="..." ecom="...">
  <ns:ID>1234</ns:ID>
  <ecom:Line number="1">
    <ecom:item>ABC</ecom:item>
    <ecom:qty>3</ecom:qty>
  </ecom:Line>
  <ecom:Line number="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>