CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpxml
Binarytales
Binarytales

Reputation: 9738

How do I capture PHP output into a variable?

I'm generating a ton of XML that is to be passed to an API as a post variable when a user click on a form button. I also want to be able to show the user the XML before hand.

The code is sorta like the following in structure:

<?php
    $lots of = "php";
?>

<xml>
    <morexml>

<?php
    while(){
?>
    <somegeneratedxml>
<?php } ?>

<lastofthexml>

<?php ?>

<html>
    <pre>
      The XML for the user to preview
    </pre>

    <form>
        <input id="xml" value="theXMLagain" />
    </form>
</html>

My XML is being generated with a few while loops and stuff. It then needs to be shown in the two places (the preview and the form value).

My question is. How do I capture the generated XML in a variable or whatever so I only have to generate it once and then just print it out as apposed to generating it inside the preview and then again inside the form value?

Upvotes: 73

Views: 99578

Answers (5)

David Wolf
David Wolf

Reputation: 1738

When using frequently, a little helper could be helpful:

class Helper
{
    /**
     * Capture output of a function with arguments and return it as a string.
     */
    public static function captureOutput(callable $callback, ...$args): string
    {
        ob_start();
        $callback(...$args);
        $output = ob_get_contents();
        ob_end_clean();
        return $output;
    }
}

Upvotes: 3

moo
moo

Reputation: 7789

<?php ob_start(); ?>
<xml/>
<?php $xml = ob_get_clean(); ?>
<input value="<?php echo $xml ?>" />͏͏͏͏͏͏

Upvotes: 131

mattoc
mattoc

Reputation: 712

You could try this:

<?php
$string = <<<XMLDoc
<?xml version='1.0'?>
<doc>
  <title>XML Document</title>
  <lotsofxml/>
  <fruits>
XMLDoc;

$fruits = array('apple', 'banana', 'orange');

foreach($fruits as $fruit) {
  $string .= "\n    <fruit>".$fruit."</fruit>";
}

$string .= "\n  </fruits>
</doc>";
?>
<html>
<!-- Show XML as HTML with entities; saves having to view source -->
<pre><?=str_replace("<", "&lt;", str_replace(">", "&gt;", $string))?></pre>
<textarea rows="8" cols="50"><?=$string?></textarea>
</html>

Upvotes: 2

maxsilver
maxsilver

Reputation: 4584

It sounds like you want PHP Output Buffering

ob_start(); 
// make your XML file

$out1 = ob_get_contents();
//$out1 now contains your XML

Note that output buffering stops the output from being sent, until you "flush" it. See the Documentation for more info.

Upvotes: 11

Robert K
Robert K

Reputation: 30328

Put this at your start:

ob_start();

And to get the buffer back:

$value = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();

See https://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.outcontrol.php and the individual functions for more information.

Upvotes: 55

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