1. Server-Side Application and Data Management IT IS 3105 (FALL 2009)
XML and PHP (Part 2)
Mohamed Shehab
Lecture 8

2. Converting XML to SQL
In some cases you need to convert an XML document to an SQL table.
The steps:
Read the different XML elements/attributes
Store the read values into the SQL table.

3. Converting XML to SQL (Cont.)
library
book
title
author
pages
<library> <book id="1" genre="horror" rating="5"> <title>The Shining</title> <author>Stephen King</author> <pages>673</pages> </book> <book id="2" genre="suspense" rating="4"> <title>Shutter Island</title> <author>Dennis Lehane</author> <pages>390</pages> </library> id
genre
rating
title
author
pages 1
horror 5
The Shining
Stephen King
673 2
suspense 4
Shutter Island
Dennis Lehane
390

4. Converting XML to SQL (Cont.)
library
book
title
author
pages
<?php $xml = simplexml_load_file(‘library.xml') or die (“Cant load XML!"); foreach ($xml->book as $book) { $query = “INSERT INTO library (id, genre, rating, title, author, pages) VALUES (‘$book[‘id’]’,’$book[‘genre’]’,’$book[‘rating’]’, ’$book->title’,’$book->author’,’$book->pages’)”; }?>

5. Altering Element and Attributes
To alter an elements and attributes:
<?php
$xml = simplexml_load_file(‘library.xml') or die (“Cant load XML!");
$xml->book[1]->title = ‘Invisible Prey’;
$xml->book[1]->author = ‘John Sandford’;
$xml->book[1]{‘rating’} = 5;
header(‘Content-Type: text/xml’);
echo $xml->asXML();
?>

6. Adding New Elements and Attributes
We use the simplexml method addChild() to add an element.
We use the simplexml method addAttribute() to add and attribute.
<?php
$xml = simplexml_load_file(‘library.xml') or die (“Cant load XML!");
$book = $xml->addChild(‘book’);
$book->addAttribute(‘genre’,’travel’);
$book->addAttribute(‘rating’,4);
$book->addChild(‘title’, ‘Frommer Italy 2007’);
$book->addChild(‘author’, ‘Various’);
$book->addChild(‘pages’, 850);
header(‘Content-Type: text/xml’);
echo $xml->asXML();
?>

7. Adding the id Attribute?
We need to find the next id to give the new object:
<?php
$xml = simplexml_load_file(‘library.xml') or die (“Cant load XML!");
$numBooks = count($xml->book);
$lastID = $xml->book[($numBooks - 1)]{‘id’};
$book = $xml->addChild(‘book’);
$book->addAttribute(‘genre’,’travel’);
$book->addAttribute(‘rating’,4);
$book->addAttribute(‘id’,($lastID + 1));
$book->addChild(‘title’, ‘Frommer Italy 2007’);
$book->addChild(‘author’, ‘Various’);
$book->addChild(‘pages’, 850);
header(‘Content-Type: text/xml’);
echo $xml->asXML();
?>

8. Creating New XML Documents
You can create an new empty XML document then use addChild() and addAttribute() methods.
<?php
$xmlStr = "<?xml version='1.0'?><person></person>";
$xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlStr);
$xml->addAttribute('age', '18'); //adding attributes to the person
$xml->addAttribute('sex', 'male');
$xml->addChild('name', 'John Doe'); //adding child element to the person
$xml->addChild('dob', ' ');
$address = $xml->addChild('address');
$address->addChild('street', '12 A Road'); //adding child element to address
$address->addChild('city', 'London');
$country = $address->addChild('country', 'United Kingdom');
$country->addAttribute('code', 'UK'); //adding attribute to address
header('Content-Type: text/xml');
echo $xml->asXML();
?>