XML Parsing via SimpleXML: nested objects?

[the green bandit]

I'm trying to parse someone else's XML format to read data into php variables.  I'm used to array structures, including nested arrays, but I'm don't understand what's happening here.

 

Sample script:

 

<?php

$string =

'<document>
<table>
<name>Andy</name>
</table>
<table>
<name>Sarah</name>
</table>
<table>
<name>Joe</name>
</table>
</document>';

$xml = simplexml_load_string($string);

var_dump($xml);

?>

 

When run, this returns:

 

object(SimpleXMLElement)#1 (1) { ["table"]=>  array(3) { [ 0]=>  object(SimpleXMLElement)#2 (1) { ["name"]=>  string(4) "Andy" } [1]=>  object(SimpleXMLElement)#3 (1) { ["name"]=>  string(5) "Sarah" } [2]=>  object(SimpleXMLElement)#4 (1) { ["name"]=>  string(3) "Joe" } } }

 

 

Basically, I'd just like to be able to access these properties.  ie, the equivalent (using array notation) of print $xml[0]['name']; .

 

I don't understand why the var_dump is returning what looks like multiple SimpleXML objects (ie, #1, #2, #3, #4).

 

I've tried using a foreach loop to iterate through values, as in:

 

foreach ($xml as $value)

{
print '<br>';

var_dump($xml -> $value);
}

 

Which returns empty objects:

 

object(SimpleXMLElement)#7 (0) { }

object(SimpleXMLElement)#6 (0) { }

object(SimpleXMLElement)#7 (0) { }

 

I've been able to parse XML using other methods, but this has me completely stumped.  Any explanations or directions to helpful resources would be much appreciated.