Creating Link from XML document

alexc_6311 · 11-13-2012, 12:02 PM

Im trying to learn to build a new part of my website retriving information from an external xml document.

I can do all the listing bits and name codes etc etc but Im wondering how I create the retrived slug as a link. Eg. the xml document has

<slug>tm_44_compliance</slug>

My php code looks like this:

<?php
//create new document object
$dom_object = new DOMDocument();
//load xml file
$dom_object->load("http://quidos.eventhq.co.uk/.xml");

$event = $dom_object->getElementsByTagName("event");

foreach( $event as $activity )
{
$names = $activity->getElementsByTagName("name");
$name = $names->item(0)->nodeValue;

$summarys = $activity->getElementsByTagName("summary");
$summary = $summarys->item(0)->nodeValue;

$slugs = $activity->getElementsByTagName("slug");
$slug = $slugs->item(0)->nodeValue;

echo "$name - $summary - $slug<br>";
}
?>

How do I enter in that I want the slug to appear as a link eg.

http://quidos.eventhq.co.uk/{slug}

Thanks

Fumigator · 11-13-2012, 04:49 PM

The trick is in the echo, which you may recall is dumping output to your browser, which can read HTML. So instead of

PHP Code:


			
echo "$name - $summary - $slug<br>";

You want to HTML-ize that up like so:

PHP Code:


			
echo "<p>$name - $summary - <a href='http://quidos.eventhq.co.uk/$slug'>$slug</a></p>";

As a side note, it's interesting you're using the DOMDocument Object to parse XML, when there are other tools in PHP better suited for parsing XML, such as the SimpleXML object.

alexc_6311 · 11-14-2012, 02:46 PM

Thanks I've not got my links working!

I have also transfered away from DOMDoc to SimpleXML

DOM was first method I came across via google.

Thanks

alexc_6311 · 11-14-2012, 03:45 PM

Still appears to not be working using SimpleXML

Can someone spot the mistake?

PHP Code:


			
<?php

// load SimpleXML

$events = new SimpleXMLElement('http://quidos.eventhq.co.uk/.xml', null, true);



echo <<<EOF

<table border="1">

        <tr>

                <th>Name</th>

                <th>Summary</th>

                <th>Location</th>

                <th>City</th>

                <th>Start Date</th>

                <th>Finish Date</th>

                <th>Book</th>

        </tr>



EOF;

foreach($events as $event) // loop through our events

{

        echo <<<EOF

        <tr>

                <td>{$event->name}</td>

                <td width="250">{$event->summary}</td>

                <td>{$event->location}</td>

                <td>{$event->city}</td>

                <td>{$event->event_start_date}</td>

                <td>{$event->event_end_date}</td>

                <td>{$event->quidos.eventhq.co.uk/slug}</td>

        </tr>



EOF;

}

echo '</table>';

?>

Fumigator · 11-14-2012, 11:04 PM

How is it not working? (Your anchor tags didn't make the last code snippet you posted, btw.)

minder · 11-15-2012, 12:06 AM

I copied your xml file and the below writes all the values in the <slug> elements out as links

PHP Code:


			
<?php

$xmlData = simplexml_load_file('XML_data.xml');

if(!$xmlData){

    die('xml load failed');

}

?>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"

    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

    <head>

        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" />

        <title></title>

    </head>

    <body>

        <table>

            <?php

            foreach($xmlData->events->event as $event){

                echo '<tr>';

                echo '<td><a href="#">'.$event->slug.'</a></td>';

                echo '</tr>';

            }

            ?>

        </table>

    </body>

</html>

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
    <events>
        <event>
            <name>TM44 Compliance Training Course</name>
            <slug>tm44_compliance_training_course_birmingham_nov</slug>
            <summary>Training day detailing how to complete Air-Conditioning Inspections in line with new TM44 requirements.</summary>
            <location>Villa Park</location>
            <city>Birmingham</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-10-09 12:12:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-11-15 12:12:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-11-15 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-11-15 16:30:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>Quidos Domestic Green Deal Advisor Training</name>
            <slug>quidos_domestic_green_deal_advisor_training_bath_november</slug>
            <summary>Training to become a domestic Green Deal Advisor. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Bath</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-09-06 12:53:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-11-22 12:53:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-11-20 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-11-22 16:30:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>Quidos Floor Plan Training</name>
            <slug>quidos_floor_plan_training_november_2012_bath</slug>
            <summary>A thorough introduction into sketching floor plans. Valid for 5 hours worth of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Bath</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-11-20 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-11-20 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-11-20 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>DEA Refresher day</name>
            <slug>dea_refresher_day_october_2012_bath</slug>
            <summary>Aimed specifically at DEAs, offering expert insight into the industry. Valid for 5 hours of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Offices</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-11-21 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-11-21 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-11-21 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>NDEA Refresher day</name>
            <slug>ndea_refresher_day_october_2012_bath</slug>
            <summary>Aimed specifically at NDEAs, offering expert insight into the industry. Valid for 5 hours of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Offices</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-11-22 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-11-22 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-11-22 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>L3 ABBE Certificate in Domestic Energy Assessment</name>
            <slug>l3_abbe_certificate_in_domestic_energy_assessment_mdecember_2012</slug>
            <summary>Registration for qualification in L3 Domestic Energy Assessment.</summary>
            <location>Quidos Bath</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-04 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-04 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-06 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>Green Deal Advisor Assessment Day</name>
            <slug>green_deal_advisor_assessment_day</slug>
            <summary>Green Deal Advisor Assessment Day.</summary>
            <location>East of England</location>
            <city>TBA</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-11-08 11:26:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-14 11:26:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-10 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-14 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>Quidos Domestic Green Deal Advisor Training</name>
            <slug>quidos_domestic_green_deal_advisor_training_bath_december</slug>
            <summary>Training to become a Domestic Green Deal Advisor.</summary>
            <location>Quidos Bath</location>
            <city>Bath</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-09-06 12:30:00</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-18 12:30:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-18 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-20 16:30:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>Quidos Floor Plan Training</name>
            <slug>quidos_floor_plan_training_december_2012_birmingham</slug>
            <summary>A thorough introduction into sketching floor plans. Valid for 5 hours worth of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Birmingham</location>
            <city>Birmingham</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:01</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-18 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-18 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-18 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>DEA Refresher day</name>
            <slug>dea_refresher_day_december_2012_birmingham</slug>
            <summary>Aimed specifically at DEAs, offering expert insight into the industry. Valid for 5 hours of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Birmingham</location>
            <city>Birmingham</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:01</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-19 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-19 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-19 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
        <event>
            <name>NDEA Refresher day</name>
            <slug>ndea_refresher_day_december_2012_birmingham</slug>
            <summary>Aimed specifically at NDEAs, offering expert insight into the industry. Valid for 5 hours of CPD. </summary>
            <location>Quidos Birmingham</location>
            <city>Birmingham</city>
            <country>GB</country>
            <open_registration_date>2012-04-21 00:00:01</open_registration_date>
            <close_registration_date>2012-12-20 17:00:00</close_registration_date>
            <event_start_date>2012-12-20 10:00:00</event_start_date>
            <event_end_date>2012-12-20 17:00:00</event_end_date>
        </event>
    </events>
</root>

alexc_6311 · 11-15-2012, 09:05 AM

Sorted now!! Thanks all