How to read XML in PHP

[Skythrust]

Hi Guys,

I am trying to read a connection string (made in c# (at C:\ProgramData)) inside PHP, but without success.

Any idea what the problem could be?

Code;

$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("C:\ProgramData\ID\Config\Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><Config><DatabaseConnection DataSource="SQLSERVER" InitialCatalog="DATABASE" UserID="UID" Password="PWD" />

 

[JayC]

What in God's green earth would you want to do this for? XML can be viewed in the dev tools. As soon as you load that XML file the client will see that used that file for something and get your database password / config.

Make a php file with the connection details... PHP is all server side

 

[Skythrust]

What in God's green earth would you want to do this for? XML can be viewed in the dev tools. As soon as you load that XML file the client will see that used that file for something and get your database password / config.

Make a php file with the connection details... PHP is all server side

I can understand your reaction. I have a Windows form application which one need to load to something where PHP can read from.

For now;

- WinForm creates a config.xml.
- PHP has a connection string to a database etc etc..
- PHP need to read the xml file to update the connection string, to make it child friendly.

Else I need to create a WinForm with readwrite things, but I was assuming that this would be easier.

 

[JayC]

Does the windows form define your connection string, or will it always be the same?

 

[Skythrust]

Does the windows form define your connection string, or will it always be the same?

It will define the connection string, and just PHP may read that.

 

[Ecko]

If that is your full Config.xml file, then it is not valid XML. You will get an error about the Config tag. Unless it actually looks something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Config>
    <DatabaseConnection DataSource="SQLSERVER" InitialCatalog="DATABASE" UserID="UID" Password="PWD" />
</Config>

 

[Skythrust]

If that is your full Config.xml file, then it is not valid XML. You will get an error about the Config tag. Unless it actually looks something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Config>
    <DatabaseConnection DataSource="SQLSERVER" InitialCatalog="DATABASE" UserID="UID" Password="PWD" />
</Config>

I have that tag. But there is a lot of more information but not needed for this intergration thing.

 

[Ecko]

Post the full Config.xml

I get no errors running the PHP script with the XML I posted above.

 

[Skythrust]

Post the full Config.xml

I get no errors running the PHP script with the XML I posted above.

I get no errors to, but I would like to have the XML things as echo.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><Config><DatabaseConnection DataSource="localhost" InitialCatalog="Denzi" UserID="sa" Password="Abc123" /><DatabaseSettings LicenseKey="QMH8-J178-0YDK-5R5Y" LanguageDutch="1" LanguageEnglish="1" GDPRValue="14" Project="Test" UserField="Username" /></Config>

<b>//-----  XML Connection Settings  -----\\</b>
<br><br>
<?php

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);


$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("C:\ProgramData\Denzi\Config\Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;



?>

 

[Ecko]

Shouldn't it be something like echo $xmldata->Config->DatabaseConnection? If that's not working, var_dump() is your friend. Haven't messed with PHP in forever to recall the shenanigans it does with XML (json > xml anyways)

 

[Skythrust]

Shouldn't it be something like echo $xmldata->Config->DatabaseConnection? If that's not working, var_dump() is your friend. Haven't messed with PHP in forever to recall the shenanigans it does with XML (json > xml anyways)

Notice: Trying to get property of non-object in B:\_Websites\inc\testpage.php

 

[griimnak]

Notice: Trying to get property of non-object in B:\_Websites\inc\testpage.php

I replicated your code, this is what i got:

<?php
// set reporting
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
// test php
echo "ping";
// load
$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("C:\ProgramData\griimnak\Config\Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
// This does not work for me **
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;
// **
// but this does work for me
echo "\n";
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
echo "\n";
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["UserID"];
// raw print confirms it works
echo "\n";
print_r($xmldata->DatabaseConnection);

Try changing

echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;

To

echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]["LicenseKey"];

 

[Skythrust]

I replicated your code, this is what i got:

<?php
// set reporting
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
// test php
echo "ping";
// load
$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("C:\ProgramData\griimnak\Config\Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
// This does not work for me **
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;
// **
// but this does work for me
echo "\n";
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
echo "\n";
echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["UserID"];
// raw print confirms it works
echo "\n";
print_r($xmldata->DatabaseConnection);

Try changing

echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]->DataSource;
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]->LicenseKey;

To

echo $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
echo $xmldata->DatabaseSettings[0]["LicenseKey"];

Thanks! This works for me..

I can now echo things from the xml file.

Only I get now; Array ( [0] => Array ( [0] => IMSSP [SQLSTATE] => IMSSP [1] => -33

 => -33            [2] => Invalid value type for option Database was specified.  String type was expected.            [message] => Invalid value type for option Database was specified.  String type was expected.        ) )

[CODE=PHP]$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("C:\ProgramData\IDS\Config\Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
$XML_SQL_DataSource = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["InitialCatalog"];
$XML_SQL_UserID = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["UserID"];
$XML_SQL_Password = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["Password"];


$connectionInfo = array( "Database"=>$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog, "UID"=>$XML_SQL_UserID, "PWD"=>$XML_SQL_Password);
$conn = sqlsrv_connect( $XML_SQL_DataSource, $connectionInfo);

When I try this, I get the correct values.

echo "    
     <b>SQL Server:</b>     $XML_SQL_DataSource <br>
     <b>SQL Database:</b>     $XML_SQL_InitialCatalog <br>
     <b>SQL Username:</b>     $XML_SQL_UserID <br>
     <b>SQL Password:</b>     ".md5($XML_SQL_Password)." (For Secure password is encrypted.)<br>
     ";

Post automatically merged: Jul 15, 2019

Any update? :-(

Post automatically merged: Jul 17, 2019

Is there someone else who can help me out with this case?

 

[Higoka]

dont know if this is still relevant.

you are trying to access xml attributes therefore you need to call attributes() to access it.
you can do it like so:

$xml = simplexml_load_file('yourFile.xml');

$connection = $xml->DatabaseConnection->attributes();
$settings   = $xml->DatabaseSettings->attributes();

echo $connection->DataSource;
echo $settings->LicenseKey;
...

 

[Skythrust]

dont know if this is still

$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
$XML_SQL_DataSource = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["InitialCatalog"];
$XML_SQL_UserID = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["UserID"];
$XML_SQL_Password = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["Password"];

relevant.

you are trying to access xml attributes therefore you need to call attributes() to access it.
you can do it like so:

$xml = simplexml_load_file('yourFile.xml');

$connection = $xml->DatabaseConnection->attributes();
$settings   = $xml->DatabaseSettings->attributes();

echo $connection->DataSource;
echo $settings->LicenseKey;
...

Something like this;

$xmldata = simplexml_load_file("Config.xml") or die("Failed to load");
$XML_SQL_DataSource = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["DataSource"];
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["InitialCatalog"];
$XML_SQL_UserID = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["UserID"];
$XML_SQL_Password = $xmldata->DatabaseConnection[0]["Password"];

 

[Higoka]

I dont know if this what you got works but i would do it like this:

$xml = simplexml_load_file('yourFile.xml');

$connection = $xml->DatabaseConnection->attributes();
$settings   = $xml->DatabaseSettings->attributes();

$XML_SQL_DataSource     = $connection->DataSource;
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = $connection->InitialCatalog;
$XML_SQL_UserID         = $connection->UserID;
$XML_SQL_Password       = $connection->Password;

this is the correct way and also much cleaner solution.

 

[Skythrust]

I dont know if this what you got works but i would do it like this:

$xml = simplexml_load_file('yourFile.xml');

$connection = $xml->DatabaseConnection->attributes();
$settings   = $xml->DatabaseSettings->attributes();

$XML_SQL_DataSource     = $connection->DataSource;
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = $connection->InitialCatalog;
$XML_SQL_UserID         = $connection->UserID;
$XML_SQL_Password       = $connection->Password;

this is the correct way and also much cleaner solution.

I got an error with this code, seems like the same I already had before.

Array (    [0] => Array        (            [0] => IMSSP            [SQLSTATE] => IMSSP            [1] => -33            [code] => -33            [2] => Invalid value type for option Database was specified.  String type was expected.            [message] => Invalid value type for option Database was specified.  String type was expected.        ) )

 

[Higoka]

this should work:

$XML_SQL_DataSource     = (string) $connection->DataSource;
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = (string) $connection->InitialCatalog;
$XML_SQL_UserID         = (string) $connection->UserID;
$XML_SQL_Password       = (string) $connection->Password;

currently they are type of SimpleXMLObject. but looking at the error you need a string type. so you can cast the object into a string by placing (string) in front of it.

let me know if it works. currently on mobile so i cant test it myself.

 

[Skythrust]

this should work:

$XML_SQL_DataSource     = (string) $connection->DataSource;
$XML_SQL_InitialCatalog = (string) $connection->InitialCatalog;
$XML_SQL_UserID         = (string) $connection->UserID;
$XML_SQL_Password       = (string) $connection->Password;

currently they are type of SimpleXMLObject. but looking at the error you need a string type. so you can cast the object into a string by placing (string) in front of it.

let me know if it works. currently on mobile so i cant test it myself.

Thanks this is the solution

 

[MayoMayn]

You should be using an environment file instead