Access first element of an array without index

Question

i have an xml file:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
    <transaction dsxml_version="1.08">
    <action>action1</action>
    <action>action2</action>
    </transaction>

If i use simplexml i can access the first "action" with die following code

    $xml = simplexml_load_string($xml_content);
    echo $xml->action; // Write "action1"
    echo $xml->action[0]; // Write "action1"
    echo $xml->action[1]; // Write "action2"

Now i create an array and a try to access it on the same way. But it doesent work.

We have a huge php skipt which use simple xml which contains a logical error. If i can emulate simple xml i can fix this error on one position

Clarify the problem please. You say "Now i create an array and a try to access it on the same way." Is this about SimpleXML or is it about arrays? Please show the code that doesnt work. — Gordon
– Gordon, Commented Oct 18, 2011 at 14:42
i want to build a class which can used instead of simple xml. but this class must contain the the functions. So $xml->action must return the first arrayelement. — user1001336
– user1001336, Commented Oct 18, 2011 at 14:47
no offense but why dont you just fix the error instead of coding around the error? — Gordon
– Gordon, Commented Oct 18, 2011 at 15:06

JellyBelly · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 14:43:26Z

1

try this:

current($xml->action);

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 14:43

JellyBelly

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Comments

Ben Swinburne · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 14:48:32Z

1

echo array_shift(array_slice($xml->action, 0, 1));

or if you're not worried about damaging the original array, $xml->action you can use the following

echo array_shift($xml->action);

Using array_shift will guarantee you get the first element if it's numbered or associative.

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 14:48

Ben Swinburne

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Comments

hakre · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 19:27:25Z

1

You can create a fake or mock object that simulates the behaviour you are looking for:

$action = new SimpleXMLArrayMock($action_array);

$xml->action = $action;

echo "\nFake:\n";
echo $xml->action, "\n";    // Write "action1"
echo $xml->action[0], "\n"; // Write "action1"
echo $xml->action[1], "\n"; // Write "action2"


/**
 * Mock SimpleXML array-like behavior
 */
class SimpleXMLArrayMock extends ArrayObject
{
    private $first;
    public function __construct(array $array)
    {
        $this->first = (string) $array[0];
        parent::__construct($array);
    }
    public function __toString()
    {
        return $this->first;
    }

}

Demo

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 19:27

hakre

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Comments

ka_lin · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 14:43:12Z

0

use xpath so you can find the element

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 14:43

ka_lin

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Comments

poplitea · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 14:58:30Z

0

This would work:

foreach($myarray as $key => $val)
{
    print $val;
    //if you don't need the rest of the elements:
    break;
}

Added:

You can even make it a function:

function get_first_element($myarray)
{
    foreach($myarray as $key => $val)
    {
        return $val;
    }
}

edited Oct 18, 2011 at 14:58

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 14:45

poplitea

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3 Comments

user1001336 Over a year ago

Yes sure, but so i have to change my complete script. $xml->action is an array. And i want to access the first element if no index is given. Simple XML use this function, but i don't have any idea how they do it.

poplitea Over a year ago

@user1001336 If you replace $myarray with $xml->action in my example above, wouldn't that solve your problem? I don't see how this makes you change your entire script?

poplitea Over a year ago

@user1001336 Added function to make it easier implementing in your code.

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