simplexml_load_file and json

PHP
1

Hi Guys!

I’m converting an XML feed into a multi-level array, but i’m not sure that json reads anything inside CDATA tags.

Here’s my XML:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<request>
	<jobs>
		<job>
			<consultant><![CDATA[test@test.com]]></consultant>
			<job_title>Job title #2</job_title>
			<job_url>http://www.google.com</job_url>
			<locations>
				<location>Michigan</location>
			</locations>
			<license_types>
				<license_type>Temporary</license_type>
			</license_types>
			<categories>
				<category>Mining</category>
			</categories>
			<job_salary></job_salary>
			<job_ote></job_ote>
			<job_perks></job_perks>
			<job_description>Test job do NOT apply.......</job_description>
		</job>
		<job>
			<consultant><![CDATA[test@test.com]]></consultant>
			<job_title>Job title #3</job_title>
			<locations>
				<location>Iowa</location>
			</locations>
			<license_types>
				<license_type>Permanent</license_type>
				<license_type>Temporary</license_type>
			</license_types>
			<categories>
				<category>Mining</category>
				<category>Hazmat</category>
			</categories>
			<job_salary>50000</job_salary>
			<job_ote></job_ote>
			<job_perks></job_perks>
			<job_description>Test job do NOT apply.......</job_description>
		</job>
	</jobs>
</request>

PHP Code:

$simple = simplexml_load_file($_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name']);
$xml_array = json_decode(json_encode($simple),1);
print_r($xml_array); exit;

The array always has an empty value for consultant. How can I make json read XML with CDATA tags?

2

Have you done a print_r on $simple to see how it is being stored in that object?

3

Sure, this was the result:


SimpleXMLElement Object ( [jobs] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [job] => Array ( [0] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [consultant] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_title] => Job title #2 [job_url] => http://www.google.com [locations] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [location] => Michigan ) [license_types] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [license_type] => Temporary ) [categories] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [category] => Mining ) [job_salary] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_ote] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_perks] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_description] => Test job do NOT apply....... ) [1] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [consultant] => test@test.com [job_title] => Job title #3 [locations] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [location] => Iowa ) [license_types] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [license_type] => Array ( [0] => Permanent [1] => Temporary ) ) [categories] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( [category] => Array ( [0] => Mining [1] => Hazmat ) ) [job_salary] => 50000 [job_ote] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_perks] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [job_description] => Test job do NOT apply....... ) ) ) )
4

Seems your issue is loading the XML, not the json_encoding.

Your print_r for the $simple object has the following for the Consultant (an empty object)

[consultant] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( )

I found this in the comments on php.net

If you want CDATA in your object you should use LIBXML_NOCDATA

<?php 
$xml = simplexml_load_file($file_xml, 'SimpleXMLElement',LIBXML_NOCDATA); 
    
    print_r($xml); 
?>
5

Perfect, thank you.