[](https://supportukrainenow.org) # Convert an array to xml [![Latest Version](https://img.shields.io/github/release/spatie/array-to-xml.svg?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/spatie/array-to-xml/releases) [![Software License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-brightgreen.svg?style=flat-square)](LICENSE.md) ![Tests](https://github.com/spatie/array-to-xml/workflows/Tests/badge.svg) [![Total Downloads](https://img.shields.io/packagist/dt/spatie/array-to-xml.svg?style=flat-square)](https://packagist.org/packages/spatie/array-to-xml) This package provides a very simple class to convert an array to an xml string. ## Support us [](https://spatie.be/github-ad-click/array-to-xml) We invest a lot of resources into creating [best in class open source packages](https://spatie.be/open-source). You can support us by [buying one of our paid products](https://spatie.be/open-source/support-us). We highly appreciate you sending us a postcard from your hometown, mentioning which of our package(s) you are using. You'll find our address on [our contact page](https://spatie.be/about-us). We publish all received postcards on [our virtual postcard wall](https://spatie.be/open-source/postcards). ## Install You can install this package via composer. ``` bash composer require spatie/array-to-xml ``` ## Usage ```php use Spatie\ArrayToXml\ArrayToXml; ... $array = [ 'Good guy' => [ 'name' => 'Luke Skywalker', 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber' ], 'Bad guy' => [ 'name' => 'Sauron', 'weapon' => 'Evil Eye' ] ]; $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array); ``` After running this piece of code `$result` will contain: ```xml Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Sauron Evil Eye ``` ### Setting the name of the root element Optionally you can set the name of the rootElement by passing it as the second argument. If you don't specify this argument (or set it to an empty string) "root" will be used. ``` $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array, 'customrootname'); ``` ### Handling key names By default all spaces in the key names of your array will be converted to underscores. If you want to opt out of this behaviour you can set the third argument to false. We'll leave all keynames alone. ``` $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array, 'customrootname', false); ``` ### Adding attributes You can use a key named `_attributes` to add attributes to a node, and `_value` to specify the value. ```php $array = [ 'Good guy' => [ '_attributes' => ['attr1' => 'value'], 'name' => 'Luke Skywalker', 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber' ], 'Bad guy' => [ 'name' => 'Sauron', 'weapon' => 'Evil Eye' ], 'The survivor' => [ '_attributes' => ['house'=>'Hogwarts'], '_value' => 'Harry Potter' ] ]; $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array); ``` This code will result in: ```xml Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Sauron Evil Eye Harry Potter ``` *Note, that the value of the `_value` field must be a string. [(More)](https://github.com/spatie/array-to-xml/issues/75#issuecomment-413726065)* ### Using reserved characters It is also possible to wrap the value of a node into a CDATA section. This allows you to use reserved characters. ```php $array = [ 'Good guy' => [ 'name' => [ '_cdata' => '

Luke Skywalker

' ], 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber' ], 'Bad guy' => [ 'name' => '

Sauron

', 'weapon' => 'Evil Eye' ] ]; $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array); ``` This code will result in: ```xml Luke Skywalker]]> Lightsaber <h1>Sauron</h1> Evil Eye ``` If your input contains something that cannot be parsed a `DOMException` will be thrown. ### Customize the XML declaration You could specify specific values in for: - encoding as the fourth argument (string) - version as the fifth argument (string) - standalone as sixth argument (boolean) ```php $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array, [], true, 'UTF-8', '1.1', [], true); ``` This will result in: ```xml ``` ### Adding attributes to the root element To add attributes to the root element provide an array with an `_attributes` key as the second argument. The root element name can then be set using the `rootElementName` key. ```php $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array, [    'rootElementName' => 'helloyouluckypeople', '_attributes' => [ 'xmlns' => 'https://github.com/spatie/array-to-xml', ], ], true, 'UTF-8'); ``` ### Using a multi-dimensional array Use a multi-dimensional array to create a collection of elements. ```php $array = [ 'Good guys' => [ 'Guy' => [ ['name' => 'Luke Skywalker', 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber'], ['name' => 'Captain America', 'weapon' => 'Shield'], ], ], 'Bad guys' => [ 'Guy' => [ ['name' => 'Sauron', 'weapon' => 'Evil Eye'], ['name' => 'Darth Vader', 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber'], ], ], ]; ``` This will result in: ```xml Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Captain America Shield Sauron Evil Eye Darth Vader Lightsaber ``` ### Handling numeric keys The package can also can handle numeric keys: ```php $array = [ 100 => [ 'name' => 'Vladimir', 'nickname' => 'greeflas', ], 200 => [ 'name' => 'Marina', 'nickname' => 'estacet', ], ]; $result = ArrayToXml::convert(['__numeric' => $array]); ``` This will result in: ```xml Vladimir greeflas Marina estacet ``` You can change key prefix with setter method called `setNumericTagNamePrefix()`. ### Using custom keys The package can also can handle custom keys: ```php $array = [ '__custom:custom-key:1' => [ 'name' => 'Vladimir', 'nickname' => 'greeflas', ], '__custom:custom-key:2' => [ 'name' => 'Marina', 'nickname' => 'estacet', 'tags' => [ '__custom:tag:1' => 'first-tag', '__custom:tag:2' => 'second-tag', ] ], ]; $result = ArrayToXml::convert($array); ``` This will result in: ```xml Vladimir greeflas Marina estacet first-tag second-tag ``` A custom key contains three, colon-separated parts: "__custom:[custom-tag]:[unique-string]". - "__custom" - The key always starts with "__custom". - [custom-tag] - The string to be rendered as the XML tag. - [unique-string] - A unique string that avoids overwriting of duplicate keys in PHP arrays. a colon character can be included within the custom-tag portion by escaping it with a backslash: ```php $array = [ '__custom:ns\\:custom-key:1' => [ 'name' => 'Vladimir', 'nickname' => 'greeflas', ], '__custom:ns\\:custom-key:2' => [ 'name' => 'Marina', 'nickname' => 'estacet', 'tags' => [ '__custom:ns\\:tag:1' => 'first-tag', '__custom:ns\\:tag:2' => 'second-tag', ] ], ]; ``` This will result in: ```xml Vladimir greeflas Marina estacet first-tag second-tag ``` ### Setting DOMDocument properties To set properties of the internal DOMDocument object just pass an array consisting of keys and values. For a full list of valid properties consult https://www.php.net/manual/en/class.domdocument.php. You can use the constructor to set DOMDocument properties. ```php $result = ArrayToXml::convert( $array, $rootElement, $replaceSpacesByUnderScoresInKeyNames, $xmlEncoding, $xmlVersion, ['formatOutput' => true] ); ``` Alternatively you can use `setDomProperties` ```php $arrayToXml = new ArrayToXml($array); $arrayToXml->setDomProperties(['formatOutput' => true]); $result = $arrayToXml->toXml(); ``` ### XML Prettification Call `$arrayToXml->prettify()` method on ArrayToXml to set XML in pretty form. Example: ```php $array = [ 'Good guy' => [ 'name' => 'Luke Skywalker', 'weapon' => 'Lightsaber' ], 'Bad guy' => [ 'name' => 'Sauron', 'weapon' => 'Evil Eye' ] ]; $arrayToXml = new ArrayToXml($array); ``` With prettification: ```php $arrayToXml->prettify()->toXml(); ``` will result in: ```xml Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Sauron Evil Eye ``` Without prettification: ```php $arrayToXml->toXml(); ``` will result in: ```xml Luke SkywalkerLightsaberSauronEvil Eye ``` ### Dropping XML declaration Call `$arrayToXml->dropXmlDeclaration()` method on ArrayToXml object to omit default XML declaration on top of the generated XML. Example: ```php $root = [ 'rootElementName' => 'soap:Envelope', '_attributes' => [ 'xmlns:soap' => 'http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope/', ], ]; $array = [ 'soap:Header' => [], 'soap:Body' => [ 'soap:key' => 'soap:value', ], ]; $arrayToXml = new ArrayToXml($array, $root); $result = $arrayToXml->dropXmlDeclaration()->toXml(); ``` This will result in: ```xml soap:value ``` ### Adding processing instructions Call `$arrayToXml->addProcessingInstruction($target, $data)` method on ArrayToXml object to prepend a processing instruction before the root element. Example: ```php $arrayToXml = new ArrayToXml($array); $arrayToXml->addProcessingInstruction('xml-stylesheet', 'type="text/xsl" href="base.xsl"'); $result = $arrayToXml->toXml(); ``` This will result in: ```xml Luke SkywalkerLightsaberSauronEvil Eye ``` ## Testing ```bash vendor/bin/phpunit ``` ## Changelog Please see [CHANGELOG](CHANGELOG.md) for more information on what has changed recently. ## Contributing Please see [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/spatie/.github/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) for details. ## Security Vulnerabilities Please review [our security policy](../../security/policy) on how to report security vulnerabilities. ## Postcardware You're free to use this package, but if it makes it to your production environment we highly appreciate you sending us a postcard from your hometown, mentioning which of our package(s) you are using. Our address is: Spatie, Kruikstraat 22, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium. We publish all received postcards [on our company website](https://spatie.be/en/opensource/postcards). ## Credits - [Freek Van der Herten](https://github.com/freekmurze) - [All Contributors](../../contributors) ## License The MIT License (MIT). Please see [License File](LICENSE.md) for more information.