XML to PHP Object

XML to PHP class generation analyses an XML document and produces PHP class definitions that model its element and attribute structure. The generated classes give you a typed representation of the XML data, making it easier to work with in PHP projects.

SimpleXML is easiest for navigating well-formed XML: $xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlString); $value = $xml->elementName. DOMDocument offers more control: xpath queries, node manipulation, namespace support. For generating and modifying XML (not just reading), DOMDocument is the better choice. The generated PHP class works as a structural guide for either approach.

Cast the element to an array to access attributes: (array) $element["attributeName"]. Or iterate: foreach ($element->attributes() as $name => $value). For namespace-qualified attributes, use attributes("namespace", true). The generated PHP class maps attributes to public properties — hydrate them manually from the SimpleXML result.

$xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlString); $json = json_encode($xml); $array = json_decode($json, true). This json_encode trick works for simple XML but loses attribute distinctions — attributes and text content may collide. For complex documents, use a dedicated converter library like sabre/xml or prewk/xml-string-streamer.

SimpleXML has no built-in serialiser from a custom class. Use DOMDocument: create elements with $doc->createElement() and append them. For annotation-based XML binding (similar to JAXB), use the sabre/xml library which maps arrays/objects to XML using a fluent writer API.