Simple XML parsing problem

Texan78 · May 30, 2013

I am trying to parse an XML file which I have done many times but for some reason I am getting no output. Even when I try to echo a variable to test I get nothing.

Here is the test XML file I am using. Now it may be possible the XML is not formatted correctly but it should be.

http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml

Here is the snippet to parse the XML

//Set path to data file
$data = "http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml";

// Lets parse the XML feed
$xml = simplexml_load_file($data);

//Set initial output to false
    $tData = false;
foreach($xml->entry as $entry){

    $fname = $entry->fname;
    $lname = $entry->lname;
    $location = $entry->location;
    $report = $entry->report;
    $description = $entry->description;

// Set table style
   $tableStyle = "width: 100%; margin:0px auto; background-color:{$bkgColor};";
   $td1Style = "{$tbrdr};{$sbrdr}; padding:2px 0px 2px 6px;  background-image:url({$imagesDir}headerbgd2.gif); color:{$dtColor};";
   $td2Style = "{$sbrdr}; padding:6px 0px 0px 6px; background-color:{$reportColor};";
   $td3Style = "{$sbrdr}; line-height:5px; background-color:{$reportColor};";
   $td4Style = "{$sbrdr}; {$bbrdr}; padding: 2px 6px 6px 6px; background-color:{$reportColor};";


 // construct data for table display
    $tData .= "<table style='{$tableStyle}' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0'>\n";
    $tData .= "<tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td1Style}'><b>{$report}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr>\n";
    $tData .= "    <td style='{$td2Style}'>Reported By: <b>{$fname} {$lname}</b>   -   </b>Location: <b>{$location}</b></td>\n";
    $tData .= "  </tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td3Style}'> </td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td4Style}'>Description: <b>{$description}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "</tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "</table>\n";
    $tData .=  $afterTable;

 }

//If no storms were in the source, set no storm message
if(!$tData)
{
    $tData = $noStormMessage;
}

echo $tData;

?>

Here is the full code

<?php
#######################################################################################
#
#  SPOTTER NETWORK STORM REPORTS
#  version 1.00
#
#  This program is free and no license is required.
#
#
#  mesquiteweather.net
#
#######################################################################################

////  SETTINGS  ////


////  SETTINGS  ////

$bkgColor                                       = '#d4d4d4';  // Background color   Examples:  "gray"  "#CCC"   "#CCCCCC"
$bc                                             = '#EEEEEE';  // Background color of table cells
$dtColor                                        = '#FFF';     // Date & time color  Examples:   "#FC0"   "#FFCC00"   "white"
$width                                          = '100%';     // Set the width of the report tables

////  END OF SETTINGS  ////


#######################################################################################

ini_set('display_errors','1');

## Start Configurable data ##

//Set path to data file
$data = "http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml";

## End Configurable data ##

// overrides from the Carter Lake Settings.php file (if applicable)
global $SITE;
if(isset($SITE['cacheFileDir'])) {$cacheFileDir = $SITE['cacheFileDir']; }
if (isset($SITE['imagesDir']))   {$imagesDir = $SITE['imagesDir'];}
if(isset ($SITE['tz']))          {$ourTZ = $SITE['tz'];}
if(!function_exists('date_default_timezone_set'))
{
    putenv("TZ=" . $ourTZ);
}
else
{
    date_default_timezone_set("$ourTZ");
}

// get path info & protect for cross-site scripting vulnerability
$sri = ($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']) ? str_replace('#SA', '', htmlspecialchars(strip_tags($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']))) : '';

// set borders
   $bbrdr = 'border-bottom:thin solid black';       // bottom
   $lbrdr = 'border-left:thin solid black';         // left
   $rbrdr = 'border-right:thin solid black';        // right
   $tbrdr = 'border-top:thin solid black';          // top
   $sbrdr = 'border-right:thin solid black; '.
            'border-left:thin solid black';         // side

//Define table to display after each storm report
$afterTable = "<table style='margin-bottom: 5px;' border='0' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%'><tbody><tr><td><img alt='' src='images/1pixel.gif' border='0' height='7' width='7'></td><td class='shadow-mid' width='100%'><img alt='' src='images/1pixel.gif' border='0' height='7' width='7'></td><td><img alt='' src='images/1pixel.gif' border='0' height='7' width='7'></td></tr><tbody></table>\n";

// Let's assign the table some styles
   $noMessageStyle                              = "width:{$width}; text-align:center; margin:0px auto; background-color:{$bkgColor};";
   $td1Style                                    = "{$tbrdr};{$sbrdr}; padding:2px 0px 2px 6px;  background-image:url({$imagesDir}headerbgd2.gif); color:{$dtColor};";
   $td2Style                                    = "{$sbrdr}; padding:6px 0px 0px 6px;";
   $td3Style                                    = "{$sbrdr}; line-height:5px;";
   $td4Style                                    = "{$sbrdr}; {$bbrdr}; padding: 2px 6px 6px 6px;";


//Set message to display if there were not report
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "<table style='{$noMessageStyle}' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0'>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "<tbody>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "  <tr><td style='{$td1Style}'>LIVE STORM REPORTS</td></tr>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "  <tr><td style='{$td4Style}'>There are currently no storm reports for Mesquite</td></tr>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "</tbody>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= "</table>\n";
    $noStormMessage                                     .= $afterTable;

// Lets parse the XML feed
$xml = simplexml_load_file($data);

//Set initial output to false
    $tData = false;
foreach($xml->entry as $entry){

    $fname = $entry->fname;
    $lname = $entry->lname;
    $location = $entry->location;
    $report = $entry->report;
    $description = $entry->description;

// Set table style
   $tableStyle = "width: 100%; margin:0px auto; background-color:{$bkgColor};";
   $td1Style = "{$tbrdr};{$sbrdr}; padding:2px 0px 2px 6px;  background-image:url({$imagesDir}headerbgd2.gif); color:{$dtColor};";
   $td2Style = "{$sbrdr}; padding:6px 0px 0px 6px; background-color:{$reportColor};";
   $td3Style = "{$sbrdr}; line-height:5px; background-color:{$reportColor};";
   $td4Style = "{$sbrdr}; {$bbrdr}; padding: 2px 6px 6px 6px; background-color:{$reportColor};";


 // construct data for table display
    $tData .= "<table style='{$tableStyle}' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0'>\n";
    $tData .= "<tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td1Style}'><b>{$report}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr>\n";
    $tData .= "    <td style='{$td2Style}'>Reported By: <b>{$fname} {$lname}</b>   -   </b>Location: <b>{$location}</b></td>\n";
    $tData .= "  </tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td3Style}'> </td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td4Style}'>Description: <b>{$description}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "</tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "</table>\n";
    $tData .=  $afterTable;

 }

//If no storms were in the source, set no storm message
if(!$tData)
{
    $tData = $noStormMessage;
}

echo $tData;

?>

What am I missing or overlooking?

-Thanks

PravinS · May 30, 2013

According to XML you will get values like this

$data = "http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml";
$xml = simplexml_load_file($data);
$fname = $xml->fname;
$lname = $xml->lname;
$location = $xml->location;
$report = $xml->report;
$description = $xml->description;

Edited May 30, 2013 by pbs

Texan78 · May 30, 2013

That doesn't make any sense nor is that even functional.

boompa · May 30, 2013

Actually, it *is* perfectly functional, if you print the data.

<?php

$data = "http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml";
$xml = simplexml_load_file($data);

$fname = $xml->fname;
$lname = $xml->lname;
$location = $xml->location;
$report = $xml->report;
$description = $xml->description;

print ("First name: $fname\n");
print ("Last name: $lname\n");
print ("Location: $location\n");
print ("Report: $report\n");
print ("Description: $description\n");
?>

Result:

$ php -f weather.php
First name: First
Last name: Last
Location: Mesquite
Report: power
Description: Storm Report Power Outage

Your code assumes there's a wrapper around a bunch of entry elements, and there is not.

Texan78 · May 30, 2013

There is no format that way, it just prints the raw data. That works for one single entry if you're not wrapping it in a table for data yes, but there will be multiple entries. This is just a test XML file with one entry to test and setup the script.

The variables are used in a table like so.

// construct data for table display
    $tData .= "<table style='{$tableStyle}' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0'>\n";
    $tData .= "<tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td1Style}'><b>{$report}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr>\n";
    $tData .= "    <td style='{$td2Style}'>Reported By: <b>{$fname} {$lname}</b>   -   </b>Location: <b>{$location}</b></td>\n";
    $tData .= "  </tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td3Style}'> </td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "  <tr><td style='{$td4Style}'>Description: <b>{$description}</b></td></tr>\n";
    $tData .= "</tbody>\n";
    $tData .= "</table>\n";
    $tData .=  $afterTable;

Texan78 · May 30, 2013

I got it sorted, just added a element to my XML file.

boompa · May 30, 2013

No one is stopping you from using the information that has been provided and massaging it into the format you desire.

If your XML file looked like this, your code would work.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<reports>
  <entry>
      <fname>First</fname>
      <lname>Last</lname>
      <location>Mesquite</location>
      <report>power</report>
      <description>Storm Report Power Outage</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
      <fname>First Two</fname>
      <lname>Last Two</lname>
      <location>Mesquite</location>
      <report>lightning strike</report>
      <description>Lightning strike reported</description>
  </entry>
</reports>

$data = "http://www.mesquiteweather.net/xml/mesquite.xml";
$xml = simplexml_load_file($data);

foreach($xml->entry as $entry)
{
    $fname = $entry->fname;
    $lname = $entry->lname;
    $location = $entry->location;
    $report = $entry->report;
    $description = $entry->description;

    print ("First name: $fname\n");
    print ("Last name: $lname\n");
    print ("Location: $location\n");
    print ("Report: $report\n");
    print ("Description: $description\n");
    print ("\n");
}

Result:

$ php -f weather.php
First name: First
Last name: Last
Location: Mesquite
Report: power
Description: Storm Report Power Outage

First name: First Two
Last name: Last Two
Location: Mesquite
Report: lightning strike
Description: Lightning strike reported

Texan78 · May 31, 2013

I got it sorted, just added a element to my XML file.

I got it sorted.

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Simple XML parsing problem

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