XML items to Form Select Menu (in php?)

Question

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone knows how to get information from an XML file and turn it into a form select/list using php.. This is the XML schema:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<expose version="2.1">
  <collection _mngid="1">
    <collection _mngid="1">
      <title>Heatherton Football Club</title>
      <thumb>
        <url>albthumbs/albth_1.jpg</url>
      </thumb>
      <collection _mngid="8">
        <title>2009 Season</title>
        <thumb>
          <url>albthumbs/albth_8.jpg</url>
        </thumb>
        <album _mngid="2">
          <title>Round 17</title>
          <contentxmlurl>alb_2.xml</contentxmlurl>
          <contentnumber>20</contentnumber>
          <thumb>
            <url>albthumbs/albth_2.jpg</url>
          </thumb>
        </album>
      </collection>
      <album _mngid="3">
        <title>Auskick</title>
        <contentxmlurl>alb_3.xml</contentxmlurl>
        <contentnumber>35</contentnumber>
        <thumb>
          <url>albthumbs/albth_3.jpg</url>
        </thumb>
      </album>
    </collection>
    <collection _mngid="4">
      <title>Events Gallery</title>
      <thumb>
        <url>albthumbs/albth_4.jpg</url>
      </thumb>
      <album _mngid="5">
        <title>80's Night</title>
        <contentxmlurl>alb_5.xml</contentxmlurl>
        <contentnumber>43</contentnumber>
        <thumb>
          <url>albthumbs/albth_5.jpg</url>
        </thumb>
      </album>
    </collection>
    <collection _mngid="6">
      <title>Match Highlights</title>
      <thumb>
        <url>albthumbs/albth_6.jpg</url>
      </thumb>
      <album _mngid="7">
        <title>Match Highlights</title>
        <contentxmlurl>alb_7.xml</contentxmlurl>
        <contentnumber>10</contentnumber>
        <thumb>
          <url>albthumbs/albth_7.jpg</url>
        </thumb>
      </album>
    </collection>
  </collection>
</expose>

I need the "contentnumber" number and the "title" to create a form select/list like this:

<select name="select" id="select">
  <option value="20">Round 17</option>
  <option value="35">Auskick</option>
  <option value="43">80's Night</option>
  <option value="10">Match Highlights</option>
</select>

Is this even possible? I just need the ones with a "contentnumber" (and of course it's "title") It needs to be dynamically pulled in via php :) Can anyone help me out?

Answer 1

You need a XML parser (SimpleXML) that will parse this XML to something PHP can work with (an object in case of SimpleXML) that you can use to dynamically create your select box.