<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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<refentry xml:id="simplexmlelement.children" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>SimpleXMLElement::children</refname>
  <refpurpose>Finds children of given node</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis role="SimpleXMLElement">
   <modifier>public</modifier> <type class="union"><type>SimpleXMLElement</type><type>null</type></type><methodname>SimpleXMLElement::children</methodname>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type class="union"><type>string</type><type>null</type></type><parameter>namespaceOrPrefix</parameter><initializer>&null;</initializer></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>bool</type><parameter>isPrefix</parameter><initializer>&false;</initializer></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   This method finds the children of an element. The result follows normal
   iteration rules.
  </para>
  &simplexml.iteration;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>namespaceOrPrefix</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       An <acronym>XML</acronym> namespace.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>isPrefix</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       If <parameter>isPrefix</parameter> is &true;,
       <parameter>namespaceOrPrefix</parameter> will be regarded as a prefix. If &false;,
       <parameter>namespaceOrPrefix</parameter> will be regarded as a namespace
       <acronym>URL</acronym>.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   Returns a <classname>SimpleXMLElement</classname> element, whether the node 
   has children or not, unless the node represents an attribute, in which case
   &null; is returned.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title>Traversing a <literal>children()</literal> pseudo-array</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$xml = new SimpleXMLElement(
'<person>
 <child role="son">
  <child role="daughter"/>
 </child>
 <child role="daughter">
  <child role="son">
   <child role="son"/>
  </child>
 </child>
</person>');

foreach ($xml->children() as $second_gen) {
    echo ' The person begot a ' . $second_gen['role'];

    foreach ($second_gen->children() as $third_gen) {
        echo ' who begot a ' . $third_gen['role'] . ';';

        foreach ($third_gen->children() as $fourth_gen) {
            echo ' and that ' . $third_gen['role'] .
                ' begot a ' . $fourth_gen['role'];
        }
    }
}
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
The person begot a son who begot a daughter; The person
begot a daughter who begot a son; and that son begot a son
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
   <example>
    <title>Using namespaces</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$xml = '<example xmlns:foo="my.foo.urn">
  <foo:a>Apple</foo:a>
  <foo:b>Banana</foo:b>
  <c>Cherry</c>
</example>';

$sxe = new SimpleXMLElement($xml);

$kids = $sxe->children('foo');
var_dump(count($kids));

$kids = $sxe->children('foo', TRUE);
var_dump(count($kids));

$kids = $sxe->children('my.foo.urn');
var_dump(count($kids));

$kids = $sxe->children('my.foo.urn', TRUE);
var_dump(count($kids));

$kids = $sxe->children();
var_dump(count($kids));
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
int(0)
int(2)
int(2)
int(0)
int(1)
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><methodname>SimpleXMLElement::count</methodname></member>
    <member><function>count</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>
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