Xml_set_default_handler()

The xml_set_default_handler() function is a PHP built-in function that sets a user-defined function as the default handler for an XML parser. When parsing XML files using the SimpleXML library or other XML parsing libraries in PHP, the xml_set_default_handler() function is used to set a custom function to handle any XML data that does not have a specific handler.

The xml_set_default_handler() function is useful when you need to handle XML data that does not have a specific handler defined.

Syntax

The syntax of the xml_set_default_handler() function is as follows:

xml_set_default_handler($parser, $handler)

Where $parser is the XML parser on which the handler is set, and $handler is the name of the user-defined function that will handle the XML data that does not have a specific handler.

Usage Examples

Let's take a look at a practical example of using xml_set_default_handler() in PHP.

Example: Setting a Default Handler Function

Suppose you have an XML file "data.xml" that you want to parse using the SimpleXML library in PHP. You can use the xml_parser_create() function to create a new XML parser, and then set a default handler function using the xml_set_default_handler() function, like this:

function handle_default($parser, $data) {
    // do something with the XML data
}

$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_default_handler($xml_parser, "handle_default");

This code creates a new XML parser using xml_parser_create(). It then sets a custom function "handle_default()" to handle any XML data that does not have a specific handler. This function can manipulate the XML data in any way necessary.

Conclusion

In this article, we've discussed PHP's xml_set_default_handler() function and how it can be used to set a default handler function for an XML parser in PHP. We've explained what the function does, its syntax, and provided an example of how it can be used in a practical scenario. By using xml_set_default_handler() in your PHP applications, you can handle any XML data that does not have a specific handler defined, and manipulate the data in any way necessary.