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Bug #46672 Cloned SimpleXML Output Different
Submitted: 2008-11-25 23:35 UTC Modified: 2010-05-27 11:09 UTC
Votes:5
Avg. Score:4.2 ± 1.0
Reproduced:5 of 5 (100.0%)
Same Version:4 (80.0%)
Same OS:5 (100.0%)
From: rfludwick at gmail dot com Assigned: rrichards (profile)
Status: Wont fix Package: SimpleXML related
PHP Version: 5.*, 6CVS (2009-04-01) OS: *
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
View Developer Edit
 [2008-11-25 23:35 UTC] rfludwick at gmail dot com 
Description:
------------
It appears that cloning a SimpleXML object will not produce the same XML output on asXML() as the original object. The original will output the XML header and a line break after the XML while the cloned object is missing these.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php
$simplexml = new SimpleXMLElement("<root />");
$simplexml->path->to->node = "Zend";

$simplexml_2 = clone $simplexml;

echo "|{$simplexml->asXML()}|\n|{$simplexml_2->asXML()}|";

Expected result:
----------------
|<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root><path><to><node>Zend</node></to></path></root>
|
|<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root><path><to><node>Zend</node></to></path></root>
|

Actual result:
--------------
|<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root><path><to><node>Zend</node></to></path></root>
|
|<root><path><to><node>Zend</node></to></path></root>|

Patches

simplexml-fix-xml-header-for-clone.patch (last revision 2010-04-05 01:46 UTC by compuart dot php at gmail dot com)

Pull Requests

History

AllCommentsChangesGit/SVN commitsRelated reports
 [2008-12-30 14:49 UTC] rfludwick at gmail dot com 
I got the same result when using the snapshot, as well as version 5.2.8.
 [2010-04-05 03:51 UTC] compuart dot php at gmail dot com 
The issue appears to be the cloned node doesn't have a document pointer as its ultimate parent. Attached patch should fix that.
 [2010-05-27 08:10 UTC] mike@php.net
-Status: Verified +Status: Assigned -Assigned To: +Assigned To: rrichards
 [2010-05-27 08:10 UTC] mike@php.net 
Rob, could you have a look at this tiny patch?
 [2010-05-27 11:09 UTC] rrichards@php.net
-Status: Assigned +Status: Wont fix
 [2010-05-27 11:09 UTC] rrichards@php.net 
The asXML() method is special in regards to the document element as it treats it 
as a document node for simple trees. A clone of a document element is a regular 
element (a document can only have 1) and does not get special treatment.

Patch breaks in memory tree. Either manually add the XML declaration to the clone 
or import to dom and clone the document and work off the new document.
 [2010-10-28 02:30 UTC] thedailynathan at gmail dot com 
Is there a reason this is marked as won't fix? I ran into this today, and it 
causes basic expected behavior such as:

$simplexml2 = clone $simplexml;
$simplexml->asXML() == $simplexml2->asXML();

to fail (returns false)
 
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