SimpleXMLElement::addChild

(PHP 5 >= 5.1.3)

SimpleXMLElement::addChild — Adds a child element to the XML node

Descrição

public SimpleXMLElement::addChild ( string $name [, string $value [, string $namespace ]] )

Adds a child element to the node and returns a SimpleXMLElement of the child.

Parâmetros

name

The name of the child element to add.

value

If specified, the value of the child element.

namespace

If specified, the namespace to which the child element belongs.

Valor Retornado

The addChild method returns a object representing the child added to the XML node.

Exemplos

Nota:

Listed examples may include example.php, which refers to the XML string found in the first example of the guide.

Exemplo #1 Add attributes and children to a SimpleXML element

<?php

include 'example.php';

$sxe = new SimpleXMLElement($xmlstr);
$sxe->addAttribute('type', 'documentary');

$movie = $sxe->addChild('movie');
$movie->addChild('title', 'PHP2: More Parser Stories');
$movie->addChild('plot', 'This is all about the people who make it work.');

$characters = $movie->addChild('characters');
$character  = $characters->addChild('character');
$character->addChild('name', 'Mr. Parser');
$character->addChild('actor', 'John Doe');

$rating = $movie->addChild('rating', '5');
$rating->addAttribute('type', 'stars');
 
echo $sxe->asXML();

?>

O exemplo acima irá imprimir algo similar a:

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
<movies type="documentary">
 <movie>
  <title>PHP: Behind the Parser</title>
  <characters>
   <character>
    <name>Ms. Coder</name>
    <actor>Onlivia Actora</actor>
   </character>
   <character>
    <name>Mr. Coder</name>
    <actor>El Act&#xD3;r</actor>
   </character>
  </characters>
  <plot>
   So, this language. It's like, a programming language. Or is it a
   scripting language? All is revealed in this thrilling horror spoof
   of a documentary.
  </plot>
  <great-lines>
   <line>PHP solves all my web problems</line>
  </great-lines>
  <rating type="thumbs">7</rating>
  <rating type="stars">5</rating>
 </movie>
 <movie>
  <title>PHP2: More Parser Stories</title>
  <plot>This is all about the people who make it work.</plot>
  <characters>
   <character>
    <name>Mr. Parser</name>
    <actor>John Doe</actor>
   </character>
  </characters>
  <rating type="stars">5</rating>
 </movie>
</movies>

Veja Também

User Contributed Notes

alex dot feraud at gmail dot com
Here is a class with more functions for SimpleXMLElement :

<?php
/**
 *
 * Extension for SimpleXMLElement
 * @author Alexandre FERAUD
 *
 */
class ExSimpleXMLElement extends SimpleXMLElement
{
    /**
     * Add CDATA text in a node
     * @param string $cdata_text The CDATA value  to add
     */
  private function addCData($cdata_text)
  {
   $node= dom_import_simplexml($this);
   $no = $node->ownerDocument;
   $node->appendChild($no->createCDATASection($cdata_text));
  }

  /**
   * Create a child with CDATA value
   * @param string $name The name of the child element to add.
   * @param string $cdata_text The CDATA value of the child element.
   */
    public function addChildCData($name,$cdata_text)
    {
        $child = $this->addChild($name);
        $child->addCData($cdata_text);
    }

    /**
     * Add SimpleXMLElement code into a SimpleXMLElement
     * @param SimpleXMLElement $append
     */
    public function appendXML($append)
    {
        if ($append) {
            if (strlen(trim((string) $append))==0) {
                $xml = $this->addChild($append->getName());
                foreach($append->children() as $child) {
                    $xml->appendXML($child);
                }
            } else {
                $xml = $this->addChild($append->getName(), (string) $append);
            }
            foreach($append->attributes() as $n => $v) {
                $xml->addAttribute($n, $v);
            }
        }
    }
}
?>
Volker Grabsch
Note that although addChild() escapes "<" and ">", it does not escape the ampersand "&".

So addChild() is unsuited to handle user-defined input!

Instead, you will have to replace all "&" with "&amp;" before calling addChild().

Or, use htmlspecialchars() which also replaces other characters, but won't do any harm as addChild() won't replace those again.
felipenmoura at gmail dot com
This method returns a reference to the specific SimpleXMLElement.
If you use:
<?php
    $xml= new SimpleXMLElement('<root></root>');
    $xml->father['name']= 'Fathers name'; // creates automatically a father tag with attribute name
    $son= $xml->father->addChild('son'); // uses the first father tag
    $son['name']= 'first son';
    $otherSon= $xml->father->addChild('son'); // uses the first father tag but now, in a second son tag
    $otherSon['name']= 'second son';
   
    echo htmlentities($xml->asXML());
?>

The result will be
<root>
    <father>
        <son name='first son' />
        <son name='second son' />
    </father>
</root>

So, once you change something to the just added child, you are actually accessing the element inside the SimpleXMLElement as a reference.
Dmitry Dulepov
addChild will automatically escape all XML characters as necessary. You do not have to do any magic when adding values like "if a > b then...".