xml_parse

Instead of passing a URL, we can pass the XML content to this class (either you
 want to use CURL, Socks or fopen to retrieve it first) and instead of using 
 array, I'm using separator '|' to identify which data to get (in order to make 
 it short to retrieve a complex XML data). Here is my class with built-in fopen 
 which you can pass URL or you can pass the content instead :

p/s : thanks to this great help page.

<?php

class xx_xml {

    // XML parser variables
    var $parser;
    var $name;
    var $attr;
    var $data  = array();
    var $stack = array();
    var $keys;
    var $path;
    
    // either you pass url atau contents. 
    // Use 'url' or 'contents' for the parameter
    var $type;

    // function with the default parameter value
    function xx_xml($url='http://www.example.com', $type='url') {
        $this->type = $type;
        $this->url  = $url;
        $this->parse();
    }
    
    // parse XML data
    function parse()
    {
        $data = '';
        $this->parser = xml_parser_create();
        xml_set_object($this->parser, $this);
        xml_set_element_handler($this->parser, 'startXML', 'endXML');
        xml_set_character_data_handler($this->parser, 'charXML');

        xml_parser_set_option($this->parser, XML_OPTION_CASE_FOLDING, false);

        if ($this->type == 'url') {
            // if use type = 'url' now we open the XML with fopen
            
            if (!($fp = @fopen($this->url, 'rb'))) {
                $this->error("Cannot open {$this->url}");
            }

            while (($data = fread($fp, 8192))) {
                if (!xml_parse($this->parser, $data, feof($fp))) {
                    $this->error(sprintf('XML error at line %d column %d', 
                    xml_get_current_line_number($this->parser), 
                    xml_get_current_column_number($this->parser)));
                }
            }
        } else if ($this->type == 'contents') {
            // Now we can pass the contents, maybe if you want 
            // to use CURL, SOCK or other method.
            $lines = explode("\n",$this->url);
            foreach ($lines as $val) {
                if (trim($val) == '')
                    continue;
                $data = $val . "\n";
                if (!xml_parse($this->parser, $data)) {
                    $this->error(sprintf('XML error at line %d column %d', 
                    xml_get_current_line_number($this->parser), 
                    xml_get_current_column_number($this->parser)));
                }
            }
        }
    }

    function startXML($parser, $name, $attr)    {
        $this->stack[$name] = array();
        $keys = '';
        $total = count($this->stack)-1;
        $i=0;
        foreach ($this->stack as $key => $val)    {
            if (count($this->stack) > 1) {
                if ($total == $i)
                    $keys .= $key;
                else
                    $keys .= $key . '|'; // The saparator
            }
            else
                $keys .= $key;
            $i++;
        }
        if (array_key_exists($keys, $this->data))    {
            $this->data[$keys][] = $attr;
        }    else
            $this->data[$keys] = $attr;
        $this->keys = $keys;
    }

    function endXML($parser, $name)    {
        end($this->stack);
        if (key($this->stack) == $name)
            array_pop($this->stack);
    }

    function charXML($parser, $data)    {
        if (trim($data) != '')
            $this->data[$this->keys]['data'][] = trim(str_replace("\n", '', $data));
    }

    function error($msg)    {
        echo "<div align=\"center\">
            <font color=\"red\"><b>Error: $msg</b></font>
            </div>";
        exit();
    }
}

?>

And example of retrieving XML data:
p/s: example use to retrieve weather

<?php
include_once "xx_xml.class.php";

// Im using simple curl (the original is in class) to get the contents

$pageurl = "http://xml.weather.yahoo.com/forecastrss?p=MYXX0008&u=c";
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $pageurl );
$thecontents = curl_exec ( $ch );
curl_close($ch);

// We want to pass only a ready XML content instead of URL
// But if you want to use URL , skip the curl functions above and use this 
// $xx4 = new xx_xml("url here",'url');

$xx4 = new xx_xml($thecontents,'contents'); 
// As you can see, we use saparator '|' instead of long array
$Code = $xx4->data ['rss|channel|item|yweather:condition']['code'] ;
$Celcius = $xx4->data ['rss|channel|item|yweather:condition']['temp'] ;
$Text = $xx4->data ['rss|channel|item|yweather:condition']['text'] ;
$Cityname = $xx4->data ['rss|channel|yweather:location']['city'] ;

?>

Hope this helps.

Best seen xml2array function ever
<?php
function xml2array($url, $get_attributes = 1, $priority = 'tag')
{
    $contents = "";
    if (!function_exists('xml_parser_create'))
    {
        return array ();
    }
    $parser = xml_parser_create('');
    if (!($fp = @ fopen($url, 'rb')))
    {
        return array ();
    }
    while (!feof($fp))
    {
        $contents .= fread($fp, 8192);
    }
    fclose($fp);
    xml_parser_set_option($parser, XML_OPTION_TARGET_ENCODING, "UTF-8");
    xml_parser_set_option($parser, XML_OPTION_CASE_FOLDING, 0);
    xml_parser_set_option($parser, XML_OPTION_SKIP_WHITE, 1);
    xml_parse_into_struct($parser, trim($contents), $xml_values);
    xml_parser_free($parser);
    if (!$xml_values)
        return; //Hmm...
    $xml_array = array ();
    $parents = array ();
    $opened_tags = array ();
    $arr = array ();
    $current = & $xml_array;
    $repeated_tag_index = array (); 
    foreach ($xml_values as $data)
    {
        unset ($attributes, $value);
        extract($data);
        $result = array ();
        $attributes_data = array ();
        if (isset ($value))
        {
            if ($priority == 'tag')
                $result = $value;
            else
                $result['value'] = $value;
        }
        if (isset ($attributes) and $get_attributes)
        {
            foreach ($attributes as $attr => $val)
            {
                if ($priority == 'tag')
                    $attributes_data[$attr] = $val;
                else
                    $result['attr'][$attr] = $val; //Set all the attributes in a array called 'attr'
            }
        }
        if ($type == "open")
        { 
            $parent[$level -1] = & $current;
            if (!is_array($current) or (!in_array($tag, array_keys($current))))
            {
                $current[$tag] = $result;
                if ($attributes_data)
                    $current[$tag . '_attr'] = $attributes_data;
                $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] = 1;
                $current = & $current[$tag];
            }
            else
            {
                if (isset ($current[$tag][0]))
                {
                    $current[$tag][$repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level]] = $result;
                    $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level]++;
                }
                else
                { 
                    $current[$tag] = array (
                        $current[$tag],
                        $result
                    ); 
                    $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] = 2;
                    if (isset ($current[$tag . '_attr']))
                    {
                        $current[$tag]['0_attr'] = $current[$tag . '_attr'];
                        unset ($current[$tag . '_attr']);
                    }
                }
                $last_item_index = $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] - 1;
                $current = & $current[$tag][$last_item_index];
            }
        }
        elseif ($type == "complete")
        {
            if (!isset ($current[$tag]))
            {
                $current[$tag] = $result;
                $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] = 1;
                if ($priority == 'tag' and $attributes_data)
                    $current[$tag . '_attr'] = $attributes_data;
            }
            else
            {
                if (isset ($current[$tag][0]) and is_array($current[$tag]))
                {
                    $current[$tag][$repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level]] = $result;
                    if ($priority == 'tag' and $get_attributes and $attributes_data)
                    {
                        $current[$tag][$repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] . '_attr'] = $attributes_data;
                    }
                    $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level]++;
                }
                else
                {
                    $current[$tag] = array (
                        $current[$tag],
                        $result
                    ); 
                    $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] = 1;
                    if ($priority == 'tag' and $get_attributes)
                    {
                        if (isset ($current[$tag . '_attr']))
                        { 
                            $current[$tag]['0_attr'] = $current[$tag . '_attr'];
                            unset ($current[$tag . '_attr']);
                        }
                        if ($attributes_data)
                        {
                            $current[$tag][$repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level] . '_attr'] = $attributes_data;
                        }
                    }
                    $repeated_tag_index[$tag . '_' . $level]++; //0 and 1 index is already taken
                }
            }
        }
        elseif ($type == 'close')
        {
            $current = & $parent[$level -1];
        }
    }
    return ($xml_array);
}
?>

Returns a well formed array like the structure of the xml-document

<root>
 <child1>
  <child1child1/>
 </child1>
</root>

create an array like 
array[root][child1][child1child1]

lg