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This page provides practical examples of how you can use Laravel XML in your applications. Each example demonstrates a specific feature or use case.

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Basic XML import

The simplest way to import and work with XML files is using the import() method. 
use Flowgistics\XML\XML;

$notes = XML::import('notes.xml')->get();

// Access attributes
$count = $notes->attribute('count');

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Sample XML structure

<notes count="1">
    <note completed="true">
        <to.user>test</to.user>
        <to attr="test">Foo</to>
        <from>Bar</from>
        <heading>Baz</heading>
        <body>FooBar!</body>
        <created_at/>
        <updated_at/>
        <completed_at>01-01-1970 12:00</completed_at>
    </note>
</notes>

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Casting XML to models

You can cast XML elements to PHP classes for better type safety and structure.
Cast XML elements directly to Eloquent models:
use Flowgistics\XML\XML;

class Note extends \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'to',
        'from',
        'heading',
        'body',
        'completed_at',
    ];
}

$xml = XML::import('notes.xml')
    ->cast('note')->to(Note::class)
    ->get();

// $xml->note is now a Note model instance
Implement the Castable interface for custom casting logic:
use Flowgistics\XML\Casts\Castable;
use Flowgistics\XML\XML;

class TextNote implements Castable
{
    public function __construct($to, $from, $text)
    {
        // Your custom initialization logic
    }

    public static function fromCast(array $data): Castable
    {
        return new TextNote($data['to'], $data['from'], $data['body']);
    }
}

$xml = XML::import('notes.xml')
    ->cast('note')->to(TextNote::class)
    ->get();
Cast to any PHP class with a constructor that accepts an array:
use Flowgistics\XML\XML;

class MyNote
{
    public function __construct($data)
    {
        // Process the data array
    }
}

$xml = XML::import('notes.xml')
    ->cast('note')->to(MyNote::class)
    ->get();

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Transformers

Transformers allow you to modify XML data during import. You can use built-in transformers or create your own. 
use Flowgistics\XML\XML;

// Using the alias
$xml = XML::import('notes.xml')
    ->expect('note')->as('array')
    ->get();

// Or using the class directly
$xml = XML::import('notes.xml')
    ->transform('note')->with(ArrayTransformer::class)
    ->get();

// $xml->note will always be an array

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Working with multiple notes

When your XML contains multiple elements, transformers help you process them efficiently: 
<notes>
    <note completed="true">
        <to>Foo</to>
        <from>Bar</from>
        <heading>Baz</heading>
        <body>FooBar!</body>
        <created_at/>
        <updated_at/>
        <completed_at>01-01-1970 12:00</completed_at>
    </note>
    <note completed="false">
        <to>Foo</to>
        <from>Bar</from>
        <heading>Baz</heading>
        <body>FooBar!</body>
        <created_at>01-01-1970 10:00</created_at>
        <updated_at/>
        <completed_at/>
    </note>
</notes>
Custom transformers are perfect for filtering, sorting, or modifying XML data before it reaches your application logic.

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Next steps

Advanced usage

Learn about validation, exports, and more

API reference

Explore the complete API documentation

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