simplexml error handling php

Question

I am using the following code:

function GetTwitterAvatar($username){
$xml = simplexml_load_file("http://twitter.com/users/".$username.".xml");
$imgurl = $xml->profile_image_url;
return $imgurl;
}

function GetTwitterAPILimit($username, $password){
$xml = simplexml_load_file("http://$username:[email protected]/account/rate_limit_status.xml");
$left = $xml->{"remaining-hits"};
$total = $xml->{"hourly-limit"};
return $left."/".$total;
}

and getting these errors when the stream cannot connect:

Warning: simplexml_load_file(http://twitter.com/users/****.xml) [function.simplexml-load-file]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable

Warning: simplexml_load_file() [function.simplexml-load-file]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "http://twitter.com/users/****.xml" 

Warning: simplexml_load_file(http://[email protected]/account/rate_limit_status.xml) [function.simplexml-load-file]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable

Warning: simplexml_load_file() [function.simplexml-load-file]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "http://***:***@twitter.com/account/rate_limit_status.xml"

How can I handle these errors so I can display a user friendly message instead of what is shown above?

Consider changing the selected answer? The question asks "How can I handle these errors?" the selected answer merely tells you how to avoid having to. — Tim Ogilvy
– Tim Ogilvy, Commented Apr 26, 2017 at 3:25

Your Common Sense · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-06 11:13:28Z

51

You can disable PHP warnings and get error messages in the form of array instead:

$use_errors = libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
$xml = simplexml_load_file($url);
if (false === $xml) {
  // here you can use libxml_get_errors() to get error messages
  // and either format them nicely for the user or log for the admin
}
libxml_clear_errors();
libxml_use_internal_errors($use_errors);

more info: http://php.net/manual/en/function.libxml-use-internal-errors.php

edited May 6 at 11:13

Your Common Sense

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answered Jan 3, 2011 at 8:59

Alex

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3 Comments

Markus Hedlund Over a year ago

Only one that answers the question. Use it with libxml_get_errors() or libxml_get_last_error() to get the error message(s).

Scott Chu Over a year ago

However, this CANNOT get all warning messages dumped by simplexml_load_file.

bestprogrammerintheworld Over a year ago

I tried this but got a warning message, so I simply did $xml = @simplexml_load_file($url); and no warnings and handles error as expected

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

29

I've found a nice example in the php documentation.

So the code is:

libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
$sxe = simplexml_load_string("<?xml version='1.0'><broken><xml></broken>");
if (false === $sxe) {
    echo "Failed loading XML\n";
    foreach(libxml_get_errors() as $error) {
        echo "\t", $error->message;
    }
}

And the output, as we/I expected:

Failed loading XML

Blank needed here
parsing XML declaration: '?>' expected
Opening and ending tag mismatch: xml line 1 and broken
Premature end of data in tag broken line 1

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

CommunityBot

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answered Dec 14, 2011 at 9:01

BCsongor

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1 Comment

Scott Chu Over a year ago

However, this CANNOT get all warning messages dumped by simplexml_load_string.

Mārtiņš Briedis · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17 05:17:15Z

10

If you look at the manual, there is an options parameter:

SimpleXMLElement simplexml_load_file ( string $filename [, string $class_name = "SimpleXMLElement" [, int $options = 0 [, string $ns = "" [, bool $is_prefix = false ]]]] )

Options list is available: http://www.php.net/manual/en/libxml.constants.php

This is the correct way to suppress warnings parsing warnings:

$xml = simplexml_load_file('file.xml', 'SimpleXMLElement', LIBXML_NOWARNING);

answered Apr 17, 2013 at 5:17

Mārtiņš Briedis

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2 Comments

Michael Butler Over a year ago

Didn't work for me, still generated an E_WARNING in PHP 5.4.x

Woody Over a year ago

This answer is a simple solution that works, saved me headache! Note to those that may have errors: if you have more than one LIBXML_XXXX, be sure to seperate by pipe like LIBXML_NOCDATA | LIBXML_COMPACT | LIBXML_NOWARNING

Halfstop · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-23 15:07:01Z

7

This is an old question, but is still relevant today.

The correct way to handle exceptions when using the oop SimpleXMLElment is like so.

libxml_use_internal_errors(TRUE); // this turns off spitting errors on your screen
try {
  $xml = new SimpleXMLElement($xmlStringOfData);
} catch (Exception $e) {
  // Do something with the exception, or ignore it.
}

answered Nov 23, 2015 at 15:07

Halfstop

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Comments

Robert G. · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-28 08:31:57Z

4

My little code:

try {
    libxml_use_internal_errors(TRUE);
    $xml = new SimpleXMLElement($xmlString);
    echo '<pre>'.htmlspecialchars($xml->asXML()).'</pre>';
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo 'Caught exception: ' . $e->getMessage() . chr(10);
    echo 'Failed loading XML: ' . chr(10);
    foreach(libxml_get_errors() as $error) {
        echo '- ' . $error->message;
    }
}

Result example:

Caught exception: String could not be parsed as XML
Failed loading XML: 
- Opening and ending tag mismatch: Body line 3 and Bod-y

answered Feb 28, 2017 at 8:31

Robert G.

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Comments

Ignas R · Accepted Answer · 2009-08-20 16:16:31Z

-1

The documentation says that in the case of an error, simplexml_load_file returns FALSE. So, you can use the "shut-up" operator (@) in combination with a conditional statement:

if (@simplexml_load_file($file))
{
    // continue
}
else 
{
    echo 'Error!';
}

answered Aug 20, 2009 at 16:16

Ignas R

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6 Comments

mere-teresa Over a year ago

Not the shut-up not the shut up, please !

mrpatg Over a year ago

so something like this? function GetTwitterAvatar($username){ if(@simplexml_load_file("twitter.com/users/".$username.".xml")){ $xml = simplexml_load_file("twitter.com/users/".$username.".xml"); $imgurl = $xml->profile_image_url; return $imgurl; } else { return 'error'; } }

Ignas R Over a year ago

You can do it without calling simplexml_load_file twice: $xml = @simplexml_load_file("..."); if ($xml) { ... } else { return 'Error'; }

Ignas R Over a year ago

mere-teresa, but he needs to suppress the warning here... Of course, you can also use the display_errors setting or convert errors to exceptions and then use try/catch, but this is much simpler...

Adam B Over a year ago

@IgnasR you can do it even simpler: if (!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)) { echo 'Error!'; return false; } else { //your code }

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