How To Check If XML/SimpleXML Node Exist

Let’s say you have a xml file which looks like:

<keywords>
    <keyword>
        <title>Business Blogging</title>
        <date>2009-12-31</date>
    </keyword>
    <keyword>
        <title>Insurance Quotes</title>
    </keyword>
</keywords>

And you want apply some logic based on whether the xml node keywords->keyword->date exist. So how would you do it?

Let’s say that the xml file is saved as keywords.xml

1. Load the xml using simplexml

$xml = simplexml_load_file("keywords.xml");

2. Loop and check if the date node exist

foreach ($xml->keywords->keyword as $keyword) {
    if (isset($keyword->date)) {
        // date node is found. do whatever you want to do here.
    }
}

I haven’t check but there should also be a way to check whether a node exists without involving a foreach loop using simplexml xpath’s function. Please leave a comment if you know a better way.