I'm trying to use http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.simplexml-load-string.php $xml_url = file_get_contents('http://myserver/cgi-bin/dart.cgi?request=c901c906e4d06a0d 4bd4e2932379d7c6'); try { $xml = simplexml_load_string($xml_url, 'SimpleXMLElement', LIBXML_NOBLANKS & LIBXML_COMPACT & LIBXML_NOEMPTYTAG); print_r( $xml); } catch (Exception $e) { echo "bad xml"; } If I have this XML file: <issue> <crstatus>i_field_submitted</crstatus> <problem_number>151827</problem_number> <problem_synopsis_field>title</problem_synopsis_field> <problem_description_field>description2</problem_description_field> <fi_priority>High</fi_priority> <assignee/> <create_time>5/12/2009 22:53:10</create_time> <fi_notes_oem/> <fi_sw_part_name>sw_part_name</fi_sw_part_name> <fi_general_reference>general_reference</fi_general_reference> <fi_sw_part_number>sw_part_num</fi_sw_part_number> <fi_customer_ecd_date>1244703600</fi_customer_ecd_date> <fi_sw_part_version>sw_part_version</fi_sw_part_version> <fi_required_date>1243839600</fi_required_date> <ac_type/> </issue> Why does it give me sub-objects and not just empty strings for tags that have no values as I'd expect??! I tried all those options above and none of them make a difference. SimpleXMLElement Object ( [crstatus] => i_field_submitted [problem_number] => 151827 [problem_synopsis_field] => title [problem_description_field] => description2 [fi_priority] => High [assignee] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [fi_notes_oem] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) [fi_sw_part_name] => sw_part_name [fi_general_reference] => general_reference [fi_sw_part_number] => sw_part_num [fi_customer_ecd_date] => 1244703600 [fi_sw_part_version] => sw_part_version [fi_required_date] => 1243839600 [ac_type] => SimpleXMLElement Object ( ) )
