Look at what this gives you:

$data=file_get_contents("http://www.site.com/file.xml");
$itemtitle=preg_match_all("/<itemTitle>([b].+[/b])<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);
echo '<pre>';
print_r($match);
echo '</pre>';

$match should be a two-dimensional array. This is why you are echoing 'array' to the browser.

Using your code, I am getting:

Array
(
 [0] => Array
 (
 [0] => 
 )

 [1] => Array
 (
 [0] => 
 )

)

How do I get the content of <itemTitle>'s to display?

This means that your pattern isn't correctly working. Unfortunately I have to run, but I'm sure someone else here will be glad to help you with it if your not up for the task ;)

Anyway, goodluck!

When I try using (.*?) instead of your (.+) it returns:

Array
(
 [0] => Array
 (
  [0] => 
  [1] => 
  [2] => 
  [3] =>
.
.
.
  [155] => 
 )
 [1] => Array
 (
  [0] => 
  [1] => 
  [2] => 
  [3] => 
.
.
.
  [155] => 
 )
)

I assume there's 155 results for the test query I used. I've got no idea where to go from here :s

Hi Joshm, I tested your first code and works fine.

As you said "the echo part returns 'Array' onto the page", you need to use a loop for each item in the array:

foreach ($match[1] as $title)
{
echo $title . '<br>';
}

Hope this helps! :)

Now I have:

$data = file_get_contents("http://www.site.com/file.xml");
$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle>(.*?)<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);
foreach ($match[1] as $title)
{
echo $title . '<br>';
}

But it is echoing nothing. What did I do wrong?

>>But it is echoing nothing

Stupid question: Do you have any text between any of the XML tags?

Also, I suggest changing your pattern to:

$pattern = "/<itemTitle>(.+)<\/itemTitle>/";

Otherwise it is going to find a match if there is no text in the tag; it will push an empty array value to $match.

Other than that, your code should work. Again, try using print_r to see what the whole array contains.

Oh wait... I looked at the source code - it IS printing out the item title's but it's not being shown on the page. An example is: <![CDATA[Item title is printed here]]> so what is the <![CDATA[]]> stuff showing for I don't know.

Answering your question, yes, the <itemTitle> tags have content in them. When I try using the (.+) instead of (.*?) it prints out the other xml tags which are not needed. Using the (.*?) it is printing out just the content of the <itemTitle> tags... just the weird <![CDATA[]]> thing that is the problem, and obviously the fact that it doesn't echo onto the page because of this.

Umm I hope I haven't confused ya's with this CDATA stuff but I don't know what to do to prevent it? I have been reading up on it but yeah, I just don't get why it's showing up. Any help much appreciated! Thanks.

I managed to remove <![CDATA[]]> tags so it now displays on my page correctly. I have one more question: How would I limit the results to display say 30 instead of all of them?

My new code is this:

$data = file_get_contents("http://www.site.com/file.xml");
$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle>(.*?)<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);
foreach ($match[1] as $title)
{
$replace = array('<![CDATA['=>'',']]>'=>'');
$title = strtr($title,$replace);
echo $title . '<br>';
}

Maybe there is a way for it to not output <![CDATA[]]> in the first place?

$display_num = 30;
$data = file_get_contents("http://www.site.com/file.xml");
$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle><!\[CDATA\[(.+)\]\]<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);
for($i = 0; $i < $display_num; $i++){
echo $match[1][$i].'<br />';
}

Something like that :)

Actually, my previous solution is assuming that there are going to be at least 30 matches. Here's a better way to do this:

$data = file_get_contents("http://www.site.com/file.xml");
$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle><!\[CDATA\[(.+)\]\]<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);
$count = count($match[1]);
$display_num = ($count < 30)? $count : 30;
for($i = 0; $i < $display_num; $i++){
echo $match[1][$i].'<br />';
} 

Hi, your code:

$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle><!\[CDATA\[(.+)\]\]<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);

didn't work, it returned no results that way. So I have this:

$itemtitle = preg_match_all("/<itemTitle>(.*?)<\/itemTitle>/", $data, $match);

and

$replace = array('<![CDATA['=>'',']]>'=>'');
$match[1][$i] = strtr($match[1][$i],$replace);

and it is displaying correctly, and limited to 30 results. Thanks for your help :)

Glad you got it sorted.

My suggestion for the pattern was to include the extraneous information into it so that you don't have to do a string replace each time you echo it out to the browser. I think it's a better solution just my pattern may be off a little.

Anyway, if what you have suits you then I guess you'll be fine :)