php.net |  support |  documentation |  report a bug |  advanced search |  search howto |  statistics |  random bug |  login

go to bug id or search bugs for

Request #64440 SimpleXMLElement needs a way to add text content to a node
Submitted: 2013-03-16 18:28 UTC Modified: 2013-03-16 22:33 UTC
Votes:1
Avg. Score:5.0 ± 0.0
Reproduced:1 of 1 (100.0%)
Same Version:0 (0.0%)
Same OS:0 (0.0%)
From: matteosistisette at gmail dot com Assigned:
Status: Open Package: SimpleXML related
PHP Version: Irrelevant OS: all
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
View Developer Edit
Welcome back! If you're the original bug submitter, here's where you can edit the bug or add additional notes.
If you forgot your password, you can retrieve your password here.
Password:
Status:
Package:
Bug Type:
Summary:
From: matteosistisette at gmail dot com
New email:
PHP Version: OS:

 

 [2013-03-16 18:28 UTC] matteosistisette at gmail dot com 
Description:
------------
There is currently no way (except for this horrible hack 
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3153477/how-can-i-set-text-value-of-
simplexmlelement-without-using-its-parent) to add or modify the text content of a 
xml node with SimpleXMLElement.

It needs methods called somethig like addTextContent() or setTextContent() or 
addTextNode() or whatever.


Now please don't tell me this is a feature request. This is a huge design flaw. 
This is the lack of an obvious, vital feature. 

Test script:
---------------
$xml_a=new SimpleXMLElement("<data/>");
$xml_b=new SimpleXMLElement("<data>someText</data>");

//Now try to modify $xml_a so that it becomes like $xml_b 
//It's impossible.

/* You would need something like:

  $xml_a->addContent("someText");
or
  $xml_a->addTextNode("someText");
or
  $xml_a->setContent("someText");

No way you can accomplish that*/

Patches

Pull Requests

History

AllCommentsChangesGit/SVN commitsRelated reports
 [2013-03-16 19:03 UTC] salathe@php.net 
What's wrong with $element[0] = "someText" ?

It is also not very often that one wishes to edit the documentElement's text content.  When editing sub-elements the following can be 
used when there is only one matching "<child>":

    $element->child = 'some text';

If there are multiple "<child>" elements, then you should specify which one to change:

    $element->child[2] = 'some text';

There is no requirement to use the "horrible hack" syntax: $element->{0}.
 [2013-03-16 19:03 UTC] salathe@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Feedback -Type: Bug +Type: Feature/Change Request
 [2013-03-16 19:55 UTC] matteosistisette at gmail dot com 
> What's wrong with $element[0] = "someText" ?

Oh, 
- that it is not documented (which is why i had no idea it existed)
- that it is not object-oriented (which makes it even difficult to document: 
there's no proper place in documentation where one would expect to find it)


> When editing sub-elements the following can be 
used when there is only one matching "<child>":
    $element->child = 'some text';

Yes, you need a reference to the parent, however, And this means you can't do 
that with the root element.


Example use: you create an element, and depending on some condition you decide 
whether to leave it empty or put content into it.
 [2013-03-16 19:55 UTC] matteosistisette at gmail dot com
-Status: Feedback +Status: Open
 [2013-03-16 22:33 UTC] salathe@php.net 
I agree completely that the documentation of the currently available features 
could do with a little improvement and extension, with even more examples of 
SimpleXML's often magical-seeming syntax. However, that is going beyond the realm 
of this "bug" / feature request.

I can see use for a new method which sets the text of an element, the current 
ways are a little eyebrow raising to say the least!
 
PHP Copyright © 2001-2024 The PHP Group
All rights reserved. 		Last updated: Thu Nov 21 19:01:29 2024 UTC