php-doc-en/reference/simplexml/functions/simplexml-element-children.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<!-- $Revision: 1.3 $ -->
  <refentry id='function.simplexml-element-children'>
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>simplexml_element->children</refname>
    <refpurpose>
     Finds children of given node.
    </refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
    <methodsynopsis>
     <type>object simplexml_element</type><methodname>simplexml_element->children</methodname>
     <void/>
    </methodsynopsis>
    <para>
     This method finds the children of the element of which it is a member. The result
     follows normal iteration rules.
    </para>
    <note>
     <simpara>
      Like most other SimpleXML methods, <literal>children()</literal>
      has iterative properties which cannot be viewed using
      <function>var_dump</function> or anything else which can examine
      objects.
     </simpara>
    </note>
    <example>
     <title>Traversing a <literal>children()</literal> pseudo-array</title>
     <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$xml = simplexml_load_string(
'<person>
 <child role="son">
  <child role="daughter"/>
 </child>
 <child role="daughter">
  <child role="son">
   <child role="son"/>
  </child>
 </child>
</person>');

foreach ($xml->children() as $second_gen) {
    echo ' The person begot a ' . $second_gen['role'];

    foreach ($second_gen->children() as $third_gen) {
        echo ' who begot a ' . $third_gen['role'] . ';';
    
        foreach ($third_gen->children() as $fourth_gen) {
            echo ' and that ' . $third_gen['role'] .
                ' begot a ' . $fourth_gen['role'];
        }
    }
}
?>
]]>
     </programlisting>
     <simpara>
      This script will output:
     </simpara>
     <screen>
<![CDATA[
The person begot a son who begot a daughter; The person
begot a daughter who begot a son; and that son begot a son
]]>
     </screen>
    </example>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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