XML controller

[tobeyt23]

Has anyone used XML as a site controller and if so and references or ideas would be great.

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Since XML is primarily designed to transport and store data and it does not do anything in itself, you would need to provide an example of what you are actually asking about.

[tobeyt23]

Instead of using a database to store data i was thinking use an xml file to hold articles then use php to read them. So i guess really I would use php as the controller and xml for the data

[GoneNowBye]

You're in luck

 

<?php
class XMLParser{
    var $parser;
    var $filePath;
    var $document;
    var $currTag;
    var $tagStack;
var $data;
var $state;
    function XMLParser($path,$state) {
        $this->parser = xml_parser_create();
    $this->filePath = $path;
    $this->document = array();
    $this->currTag =& $this->document;
    $this->tagStack = array();
$this->state = $state;
    }  
    function parse(){
        xml_set_object($this->parser, $this);
        xml_set_character_data_handler($this->parser, 'dataHandler');
        xml_set_element_handler($this->parser, 'startHandler', 'endHandler');
        

	if($this->state == 0) {
		if(!($fp = fopen($this->filePath, "r"))) {
			die("Cannot open XML data file: $this->filePath");
			return false;
		}
		while($data = fread($fp, 40960)) {
			if(!xml_parse($this->parser, $data, feof($fp))) {
				die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
							xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($this->parser)),
							xml_get_current_line_number($this->parser)));
			}
			$this->data = $this->data.$data;
			fclose($fp);
		}
	} else {
			$data = $this->filePath;
			if(!xml_parse($this->parser, $data, false)) {
				die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
							xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($this->parser)),
							xml_get_current_line_number($this->parser)));
			}			
	}
    
        
    xml_parser_free($this->parser);
    
        return true;
    }
    function startHandler($parser, $name, $attribs) {
        if(!isset($this->currTag[$name]))
            $this->currTag[$name] = array();
        
        $newTag = array();
        if(!empty($attribs))
            $newTag['attr'] = $attribs;
        array_push($this->currTag[$name], $newTag);
        
        $t =& $this->currTag[$name];
        $this->currTag =& $t[count($t)-1];
        array_push($this->tagStack, $name);
    }
    
    function dataHandler($parser, $data){
        $data = trim($data);
        
        if(!empty($data))
        {
            if(isset($this->currTag['data']))
                $this->currTag['data'] .= $data;
            else
                $this->currTag['data'] = $data;
        }
    }
    
    function endHandler($parser, $name)
    {
        $this->currTag =& $this->document;
        array_pop($this->tagStack);
        
        for($i = 0; $i < count($this->tagStack); $i++)
        {
            $t =& $this->currTag[$this->tagStack[$i]];
            $this->currTag =& $t[count($t)-1];
        }
    }
}
?>

 

Enjoy, heres how to use.

<?php
$result1 = $xml_class_name->document['OPENINGTAG'][0]['ROW'][$x]['attr']['ATTRIBUTE'];
//or data
$result2 = $xml_class_name->document['OPENINGTAG'][0]['ROW'][$x]['data'];
?>

 

<openingtag>

<row attribute="12">Some data</row>

<row attribute="13">Some more</row>

</openingtag>

 

Result1 = 12 assuming x is 0

Result2 = Some data assuming x is 0

Result1 = 13 assuming x is 1

Result2 = Some more assuming x is 1

Result1 & 2 = null assuming x is greater then 1

 

 

[EDIT]

However MySQL is a hell of alot quicker.

[PFMaBiSmAd]

However MySQL is a hell of alot quicker.

I'll second that. Using some slow parsed/tokenized/interpreted php code to scan through and find information in xml data from a file is going to be about 100 times slower than using a database engine, which uses complied code to do the scanning and finding of information. So, if you expect the amount of data to continually grow and want your web site to perform well, use a database.

[tobeyt23]

I totally agree, but the person whom which this will be for doesn't want to use a db and wants to just update and edit a file to pull content. So I was thinking this would be a good workout.

[GoneNowBye]

Do you follow my sollution?

[tobeyt23]

yes thanks

[simshaun]

Although this deviates off the OP's question slightly, I thought this may be worth posting.

 

http://www.phpro.org/articles/Application-Configuration.html

 

It gives a comparison for storing application configuration information (not entire articles).

While MySQL is definitely going to be faster for large sets of data, it is not necessarily faster for small amounts of information.

[GoneNowBye]

If its not faster for small amounts of data, you dont have it indexed correctly

 

the only time that reading a file will be faster really is when you are reading it per line, and not sorting in anway;

 

I've used both and do use both, XML is better as a ... bridge, an API between two systems, MySQL is faster in every instance.

[simshaun]

I'm not arguing with you, but care to provide a benchmark?

[GoneNowBye]

sure i'll do one later. i'll post a graph.