help manipulating an xml file to return unique values

[LJackson]

Hi All

i have an xml file which i am trying to get a list of unique 'binding' field.

here is my code

    $latest = simplexml_load_file('all_dvds.xml');
    foreach ($latest->film as $film)
    {
        $prodID = $film->id;
        $prodName = $film->name;
        $prodBinding = $film->binding;
        $prodReleaseDate = $film->release_date;
        $prodAge= $film->age_rating;
        $prodRRP = $film->rrp;
        $prodIMG = $film->image;
        $prodCheapest = $film->cheapest;
        $cat = array_unique($prodBinding);
        print_r($cat);
        if($store_count ==1)
        {?>
            <div>
            <a href="<?php echo $storeLink?>" title="Click to see related product(s) / retailer and apply code">
            <div class="store_logo"><img src="<?php echo $storeLogo?>" alt="<?php echo $storeName?>" title="<?php echo $storeName?>" height="32" border="0" /></div>
            </a>
            <div class="description"><?php echo $storeDescription?></div>
            </div><?php
            $store_count++;
        }
    }?>

i tried adding a unique array to the $prodBinding field but as its not an array it doesnt work, whats the correct way do do this?
many thanks

[harbingerOTV]

how about:

xml.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<latest>
	<film>
		<binding>Goodfellas</binding>
	</film>
	<film>
		<binding>Donny Brasco</binding>
	</film>
	<film>
		<binding>The Godfather</binding>
	</film>
	<film>
		<binding>Donny Brasco</binding>
	</film>
	<film>
		<binding>The Godfather</binding>
	</film>
</latest>

<?php
    $latest = simplexml_load_file('xml.xml');
    $arr = array();
    foreach ($latest->film as $film){
        $prodBinding = $film->binding;
        array_push($arr, $prodBinding);
    }
    print_r(array_unique($arr)); 
?>

[LJackson]

thanks mate will give it a go

[LJackson]

ok i need so help with generating my xml file,

i have a sql query which pulls out data from several db tables

SELECT dvd.filmID, dvd.filmName, dvd.filmThumbIMG, dvd.filmBinding, dvd.filmReleaseDate, 
               filmAgeRating, filmTrailer, filmRRP, format.prodID, format.formatID, 
               COUNT( pop.prodID ) AS popularity
                FROM tbl_dvds AS dvd 
                INNER JOIN tbl_product_format AS format ON format.prodID = dvd.filmID
                LEFT JOIN  tbl_popularity AS pop ON pop.prodID = dvd.filmID
                GROUP BY dvd.filmID, dvd.filmName, dvd.filmThumbIMG, dvd.filmBinding, dvd.filmReleaseDate, 
                 filmAgeRating, filmTrailer, filmRRP, format.prodID, format.formatID
        ORDER BY filmName ASC 

which works great, the only problem is it that some films get returned twice because they have more than 1 formatID associated with them for example

its returing something like this
prodID->title->binding->formatID
0001->my dvd title->dvd->1
0002->my dvd title 2->dvd->1
0002->my dvd title 2->dvd->2
0003->my dvd title 3->dvd->1

so for each new format there is a new row returned, which is fine for the query but when generating my xml file i dont want several new items added for each format just the one row with each of the different formats added, something like

<prod>
<prodID>0002</prodID>
<title>my dvd title 2</title>
<binding>dvd</binding>
<format_group>
<format>1</format>
<format>2</format>
</format_group>
</prod>

but im not sure how to add the formats like this,

here is my current code(which adds a new item for each row returned)

        $file= fopen("all_dvds.xml", "w");
        $_xml ="<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" ?>\r\n";
         $_xml .="<site>\r\n";
        
                $query = mysql_query("
                SELECT dvd.filmID, dvd.filmName, dvd.filmThumbIMG, dvd.filmBinding, dvd.filmReleaseDate, 
               filmAgeRating, filmTrailer, filmRRP, format.prodID, format.formatID, 
               COUNT( pop.prodID ) AS popularity
                FROM tbl_dvds AS dvd 
                INNER JOIN tbl_product_format AS format ON format.prodID = dvd.filmID
                LEFT JOIN  tbl_popularity AS pop ON pop.prodID = dvd.filmID
                GROUP BY dvd.filmID, dvd.filmName, dvd.filmThumbIMG, dvd.filmBinding, dvd.filmReleaseDate, 
                 filmAgeRating, filmTrailer, filmRRP, format.prodID, format.formatID
        ORDER BY filmName ASC") or die (mysql_error());
                while($row = mysql_fetch_array($query))
                {
                    $_xml .="\t<film>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<id>" . $row["filmID"] . "</id>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<title>" . htmlspecialchars($row["filmName"]) . "</title>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<binding>" . $row["filmBinding"] . "</binding>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<image>" . $row["filmThumbIMG"] . "</image>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<release_date>" . $row["filmReleaseDate"] . "</release_date>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<age_rating>" . $row["filmAgeRating"] . "</age_rating>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<trailer>" . $row["filmTrailer"] . "</trailer>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<rrp>" . $row["filmRRP"] . "</rrp>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t<popularity>" . $row["popularity"] . "</popularity>\r\n";
                    $_xml .="\t</film>\r\n";
                }
                
                $_xml .="\t</site>\r\n";
                fwrite($file, $_xml);

                 fclose($file);

any help is greatly appreciated

[harbingerOTV]

Sorry, I tried and failed.

My idea was to blow them in to arrays and then loop through them and merge where needed. this is as far as got:

/**
* from: http://www.2mknetwork.net/11/how-to-save-mysql-query-as-array.html
*/
function queryListCategory(){
	$qlcat=mysql_query("SELECT prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding FROM dvds ORDER BY prodID ASC") or die(mysql_error());
	$i=0;
	$fnum=mysql_num_fields($qlcat);
	while($cat=mysql_fetch_array($qlcat)){
		for($x=0;$x<$fnum;$x++){
			$lcat[$i][mysql_field_name($qlcat, $x)]=$cat[mysql_field_name($qlcat, $x)];
		}
		$i++;
	}
	return $lcat;
}

$arrays = queryListCategory();

// $arrays is your array
$r=array();

foreach($arrays as $v){
    $r[$v['prodID']][]=array('prodID'=>$v['prodID'], 'prodTitle'=>$v['prodTitle'], 'prodFormat'=>$v['prodFormat'], 'prodBinding'=>$v['prodBinding']);
}
$count = 0;
foreach($r as $rs){
	$count++;
	$merged_items = call_user_func_array('array_merge_recursive', $rs);
	foreach($merged_items as $ps){
		if(count($ps) > 1){
		}
	}
	print_r($merged_items);
}

//print_r($r);

I used a lot simpler DB for testing, my insert:

mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0001', 'The Godfather', '1', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0001', 'The Godfather', '2', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0002', 'Goodfellas', '1', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0002', 'Goodfellas', '2', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0003', 'Donny Brasco', '1', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0004', 'Scarface', '2', 'dvd')");
mysql_query("INSERT INTO dvds (prodID, prodTitle, prodFormat, prodBinding) VALUES ('0001', 'The Godfather', '3', 'vhs')");

[harbingerOTV]

Array
(
    [prodID] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0001
            [1] => 0001
            [2] => 0001
        )

    [prodTitle] => Array
        (
            [0] => The Godfather
            [1] => The Godfather
            [2] => The Godfather
        )

    [prodFormat] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
            [1] => 2
            [2] => 3
        )

    [prodBinding] => Array
        (
            [0] => dvd
            [1] => dvd
            [2] => vhs
        )

)
Array
(
    [prodID] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0002
            [1] => 0002
        )

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

    [prodFormat] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
            [1] => 2
        )

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

)
Array
(
    [prodID] => 0003
    [prodTitle] => Donny Brasco
    [prodFormat] => 1
    [prodBinding] => dvd
)
Array
(
    [prodID] => 0004
    [prodTitle] => Scarface
    [prodFormat] => 2
    [prodBinding] => dvd
)

that's farthest I got. anything else i tried started to destroy the already "good to go" arrays.

I wanted to implode like key values with a comma and the run an explode when it cam time to create the XML.

[LJackson]

hm ok thanks for giving it a go mate, there must be a way of doing this, just gotta find the solution

appreciate your help
Luke