Converts a simpleXML element into an array. Preserves attributes and everything.

simpleXmlToArray

/**
 * Converts a simpleXML element into an array. Preserves attributes and everything.
 * You can choose to get your elements either flattened, or stored in a custom index that
 * you define.
 * For example, for a given element
 * <field name="someName" type="someType"/>
 * if you choose to flatten attributes, you would get:
 * $array['field']['name'] = 'someName';
 * $array['field']['type'] = 'someType';
 * If you choose not to flatten, you get:
 * $array['field']['@attributes']['name'] = 'someName';
 * _____________________________________
 * Repeating fields are stored in indexed arrays. so for a markup such as:
 * <parent>
 * <child>a</child>
 * <child>b</child>
 * <child>c</child>
 * </parent>
 * you array would be:
 * $array['parent']['child'][0] = 'a';
 * $array['parent']['child'][1] = 'b';
 * ...And so on.
 * _____________________________________
 *
 * @author xananax at yelostudio dot com
 * @author Jeroen Schouten <jgjschouten@gmail.com>
 * @param simpleXMLElement $xml the XML to convert
 * @param boolean $flattenValues    Choose wether to flatten values
 *                                    or to set them under a particular index.
 *                                    defaults to true;
 * @param boolean $flattenAttributes Choose wether to flatten attributes
 *                                    or to set them under a particular index.
 *                                    Defaults to true;
 * @param boolean $flattenChildren    Choose wether to flatten children
 *                                    or to set them under a particular index.
 *                                    Defaults to true;
 * @param string $valueKey            index for values, in case $flattenValues was set to
 *                            false. Defaults to "@value"
 * @param string $attributesKey        index for attributes, in case $flattenAttributes was set to
 *                            false. Defaults to "@attributes"
 * @param string $childrenKey        index for children, in case $flattenChildren was set to
 *                            false. Defaults to "@children"
 * @return array the resulting array.
 */
function simpleXMLToArray($xml, $flattenValues=true, $flattenAttributes = true, $flattenChildren=true, $valueKey='@value', $attributesKey='@attributes', $childrenKey='@children') {

	$return = array();
	if (!($xml instanceof SimpleXMLElement)) {
		return $return;
	}
	$name = $xml->getName();
	$_value = trim((string) $xml);
	if (strlen($_value) == 0) {
		$_value = null;
	};

	if ($_value !== null) {
		if (!$flattenValues) {
			$return[$valueKey] = $_value;
		} else {
			$return = $_value;
		}
	}

	$children = array();
	$first = true;
	foreach ($xml->children() as $elementName => $child) {
		$value = simpleXMLToArray($child, $flattenValues, $flattenAttributes, $flattenChildren, $valueKey, $attributesKey, $childrenKey);
		
		if (isset($children[$elementName])) {
			if ($first) {
				$temp = $children[$elementName];
				unset($children[$elementName]);
				$children[] = $temp;

				$first = false;
			}
			$children[] = $value;
		} else {
			$children[$elementName] = $value;
		}
	}
	if (count($children) > 0) {
		if (!$flattenChildren) {
			$return[$childrenKey] = $children;
		} else {
			$return = array_merge($return, $children);
		}
	}

	$attributes = array();
	foreach ($xml->attributes() as $name => $value) {
		$attributes[$name] = trim($value);
	}
	if (count($attributes) > 0) {
		if (!$flattenAttributes) {
			$return[$attributesKey] = $attributes;
		} else {
			$return = array_merge($return, $attributes);
		}
	}

	if (count($return) === 0) {
		return null; //will return null instead of an empty array
	}

	return $return;
}