# SimpleXMLElement::children

(PHP 5, PHP 7)

SimpleXMLElement::children — Finds children of given node

### Description

public SimpleXMLElement::children ([ string `$ns` [, bool `$is_prefix` = `FALSE` ]] ) : SimpleXMLElement

This method finds the children of an element. The result follows normal iteration rules.

> Note: SimpleXML has made a rule of adding iterative properties to most methods. They cannot be viewed using var_dump() or anything else which can examine objects.

### Parameters

`ns`

  An XML namespace.

`is_prefix`

  If `is_prefix` is `TRUE`, `ns` will be regarded as a prefix. If `FALSE`, `ns` will be regarded as a namespace URL.

### Return Values

Returns a SimpleXMLElement element, whether the node has children or not.

### Examples

Example #1 Traversing a `children()` pseudo-array

`<?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'];
}
}
}
?>`

The above example will output:

    The person begot a son who begot a daughter; The person
    begot a daughter who begot a son; and that son begot a son

Example #2 Using namespaces

`<?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));
?>`

    int(0)
    int(2)
    int(2)
    int(0)
    int(1)

### Notes

SimpleXMLElement::children() returns a node object no matter if the current node has children or not. Use count() on the return value to see if there are any children. As of PHP 5.3.0, SimpleXMLElement::count() may be used instead.

### See Also

- SimpleXMLElement::count() - Counts the children of an element
- count() - Count all elements in an array, or something in an object