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Exporters provide functionality to convert data into XML format. The package includes two exporters: ArrayExporter for converting arrays and ViewExporter for rendering Blade views.

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ArrayExporter

The ArrayExporter class converts PHP arrays to XML documents. It extends XMLBuilder and implements the Exporter interface.

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Constructor

new ArrayExporter(array $data)
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data
array
required
The array data to export as XML.
use Flowgistics\XML\Exporters\ArrayExporter;

$exporter = new ArrayExporter([
    'users' => [
        ['name' => 'John', 'email' => '[email protected]'],
        ['name' => 'Jane', 'email' => '[email protected]']
    ]
]);
Prefer using XML::export($data) instead of instantiating directly.

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usePrettyOutput()

Enable formatted (pretty-printed) XML output. 
public function usePrettyOutput(): self
​
return
self
Returns the exporter instance for chaining.
$xml = XML::export($data)
    ->usePrettyOutput()
    ->toString();

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Example Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
  <user>
    <name>John</name>
    <email>[email protected]</email>
  </user>
  <user>
    <name>Jane</name>
    <email>[email protected]</email>
  </user>
</root>

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toString()

Convert the array to an XML string. 
public function toString(?bool $prettyOutput = null): string
​
prettyOutput
bool|null
default:"null"
When true, formats the XML with indentation. Overrides usePrettyOutput() if specified.
​
return
string
Returns the XML string.
// Basic usage
$xml = XML::export($data)->toString();

// With pretty output parameter
$xml = XML::export($data)->toString(true);

// Using method chaining
$xml = XML::export($data)
    ->usePrettyOutput()
    ->toString();

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toFile()

Save the XML to a file. 
public function toFile(string $path): void
​
path
string
required
The file path where the XML should be saved.
XML::export($data)
    ->usePrettyOutput()
    ->toFile(storage_path('exports/data.xml'));
The file will be created if it doesn’t exist. Existing files will be overwritten.

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Complete ArrayExporter Example

use Flowgistics\XML\Facades\XML;

$users = [
    'users' => [
        [
            'id' => 1,
            'name' => 'John Doe',
            'email' => '[email protected]',
            'role' => 'admin'
        ],
        [
            'id' => 2,
            'name' => 'Jane Smith',
            'email' => '[email protected]',
            'role' => 'user'
        ]
    ]
];

// Export with custom configuration
$xml = XML::export($users)
    ->version('1.0')
    ->encoding('UTF-8')
    ->rootTag('data')
    ->itemName('user')
    ->usePrettyOutput()
    ->toString();

// Save to file
XML::export($users)
    ->rootTag('users')
    ->itemName('user')
    ->usePrettyOutput()
    ->toFile('output.xml');

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ViewExporter

The ViewExporter class renders Laravel Blade views as XML documents. It extends XMLBuilder and implements the Exporter interface.

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Constructor

new ViewExporter(string $viewName, array $data = [])
​
viewName
string
required
The name of the Blade view to render.
​
data
array
default:"[]"
Data to pass to the view.
use Flowgistics\XML\Exporters\ViewExporter;

$exporter = new ViewExporter('xml.products', [
    'products' => $products
]);
Prefer using XML::exportView($viewName, $data) instead of instantiating directly.

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toString()

Render the view and return as an XML string. 
public function toString(): string
​
return
string
Returns the complete XML string with prolog and root tags.
$xml = XML::exportView('xml.report', ['data' => $reportData])
    ->toString();

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toFile()

Render the view and save to a file. 
public function toFile(string $path): void
​
path
string
required
The file path where the XML should be saved.
XML::exportView('xml.invoice', ['invoice' => $invoice])
    ->toFile(storage_path('invoices/invoice-' . $invoice->id . '.xml'));

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Complete ViewExporter Example

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Controller

use Flowgistics\XML\Facades\XML;
use App\Models\Product;

class ProductExportController extends Controller
{
    public function export()
    {
        $products = Product::all();
        
        return response()
            ->make(
                XML::exportView('xml.products', compact('products'))
                    ->rootTag('catalog')
                    ->toString(),
                200,
                ['Content-Type' => 'application/xml']
            );
    }
    
    public function exportToFile()
    {
        $products = Product::all();
        
        XML::exportView('xml.products', compact('products'))
            ->rootTag('catalog')
            ->toFile(storage_path('exports/products.xml'));
            
        return response()->download(storage_path('exports/products.xml'));
    }
}

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Blade View (resources/views/xml/products.blade.php)

@foreach($products as $product)
<product id="{{ $product->id }}">
    <name>{{ $product->name }}</name>
    <description>{{ $product->description }}</description>
    <price currency="USD">{{ $product->price }}</price>
    <stock>{{ $product->stock }}</stock>
    @if($product->categories->count())
    <categories>
        @foreach($product->categories as $category)
        <category>{{ $category->name }}</category>
        @endforeach
    </categories>
    @endif
</product>
@endforeach

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Generated XML Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<catalog>
<product id="1">
    <name>Laptop</name>
    <description>High-performance laptop</description>
    <price currency="USD">999.99</price>
    <stock>50</stock>
    <categories>
        <category>Electronics</category>
        <category>Computers</category>
    </categories>
</product>
<product id="2">
    <name>Mouse</name>
    <description>Wireless mouse</description>
    <price currency="USD">29.99</price>
    <stock>200</stock>
    <categories>
        <category>Electronics</category>
        <category>Accessories</category>
    </categories>
</product>
</catalog>

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Exporter Interface

Both exporters implement the Exporter interface with the following methods: 
interface Exporter
{
    public function toString(): string;
    public function toFile(string $path): void;
}

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Inherited Methods

Both exporters extend XMLBuilder, so they inherit all configuration methods:
  • version(string $version) - Set XML version
  • encoding(string $encoding) - Set character encoding
  • rootTag(string $name) - Set root tag name
  • itemName(string $name) - Set default item name
  • disableRootTag() - Disable root tag wrapper
  • forceItemName() - Force item name usage
See the XMLBuilder documentation for details.

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Comparison

FeatureArrayExporterViewExporter
InputPHP ArrayBlade View
Pretty OutputusePrettyOutput()Manual formatting in view
Dynamic ContentLimitedFull Blade features
ComplexitySimple arraysComplex structures
Best ForAPI responses, simple exportsReports, invoices, complex layouts

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Best Practices

Choose the right exporter:
  • Use ArrayExporter for simple, structured data
  • Use ViewExporter for complex layouts or when you need Blade’s templating features
XML Validation: Neither exporter validates the resulting XML. Ensure your data or views produce valid XML structure.
Performance: For large datasets, ArrayExporter is generally faster. For complex formatting, ViewExporter provides better maintainability.

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