Help with regex pulling XML data from response body in PHP

Question

I am working on a project that pulls data from JMS queue using PHP and Zend Framework. The HTTP client response is below. All I need is the XML string.

I came up with /(.*)</RequestDetails>/gs which tests ok on http://gskinner.com/RegExr/ but the preg_match call is returning an empty matches array.

I'm going to continue to hunt around for a pattern, but thought I would post here as well.

Thanks to all who read, etc...

Steve

UPDATE: I can't get the code to paste correctly. Here's a link to a pastbin: http://pastebin.com/rQxzcfSg

polygenelubricants · Accepted Answer · 2010-05-24 13:18:48Z

The following snippet:

<?php

$text = <<<EOT

blah blah <0>
<RequestDetails><1><2><3>test</RequestDetails>
<RequestDetails><4><5><6>blah
more blah blah
</RequestDetails>
blah blah <7>


EOT;

print $text;

preg_match_all('/<RequestDetails>(.*?)<\/RequestDetails>/s', $text, $matches);

print_r($matches);

?>

Generates this output:

blah blah <0>
<RequestDetails><1><2><3>test</RequestDetails>
<RequestDetails><4><5><6>blah
more blah blah
</RequestDetails>
blah blah <7>

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => <RequestDetails><1><2><3>test</RequestDetails>
            [1] => <RequestDetails><4><5><6>blah
more blah blah
</RequestDetails>
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => <1><2><3>test
            [1] => <4><5><6>blah
more blah blah

        )

)

I've used preg_match_all instead of /g flag, and also used (.*?) reluctant matching, which is really what you want to get multiple matches.

To see why it makes a difference, in the following text, there are two A.*?Z matches, but only one A.*Z.

 ---A--Z---A--Z----
    ^^^^^^^^^^^
       A.*Z

That said, parsing XML using regex is ill-advised. Use a proper XML parser; it'll make your life much easier.

Pekka · Accepted Answer · 2010-05-24 13:14:51Z

0

I'd say, why bother with complex Regexes when PHP 5 comes with on-board tools like SimpleXML?

$xml = simplexml_load_string($string); 

print_r($xml); // should output complete tree for you to walk through easily

You'd just have to remove the MIME parts and submit only the raw XML to the function, of course.

2 Comments

spdaly Over a year ago

Agree, but the problem is that the HTTP response includes more data than just the XML that I need. I need to pull the XML out of the response and then load the string into SimpleXML

Pekka Over a year ago

@spdaly okay. As long as the XML is clearly defined, a regex may be the way to go here.

Blair McMillan · Accepted Answer · 2010-05-24 13:22:59Z

0

Your g is invalid. Use m instead (for multiline). Test /(.*)<\/RequestDetails>/gs and /(.*)<\/RequestDetails>/ms using this tester.

answered May 24, 2010 at 13:22

Blair McMillan

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