PHP - Update an XML attribute

Question

I'm trying to update XML document. I start with a string that contains XML.

I'm loading that string to SimpleXMLElement object:

$xmlDoc = simplexml_load_string($my_xml_string);

I find a node that I would like to update like so:

$node= $xmlDoc->xpath("//nodename[@node_attribute='{$search_attribute_value}']");

Now I would like to update the node_attribute attribute. I try to do $node['node_attribute']=$new_attribute_value however $node is it's own object and this doesn't update the $xmlDoc object.

How do I find and update attribute value in the $xmlDoc?

user3942918 · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-24 04:41:46Z

2

The $node you have there is actually an array of nodes. If you know you've only got one to update you can:

$node[0]['node_attribute'] = $new_attribute_value;

More appropriate may be:

$nodes = $xmlDoc->xpath("//nodename[@node_attribute='{$search_attribute_value}']");
foreach ($nodes as $node) {
    $node['node_attribute'] = $new_attribute_value;
}

And everything will be updated as expected.

answered Sep 24, 2014 at 4:41

user3942918

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2 Comments

dev.e.loper Over a year ago

Yeah adding an index to that node did the trick. $node[0]['node_attribute']=$new_attribute_value; Not sure what was happening before.

Dave Chen Over a year ago

@dev.e.loper Also note if your node has a text portion, you will use $node[0]->{'0'}, as such written in here.

Jahanzeb · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-24 04:43:07Z

0

Untested, but you should try like this.

$nodename->attributes()->node_attribute = $new_attribute_value;

answered Sep 24, 2014 at 4:43

Jahanzeb

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