SimpleXMLElement::addChild

Adds a child element to the XML node

&reftitle.description; public ``SimpleXMLElement``null```SimpleXMLElement::addChild` `string` `qualifiedName` ``string``null```value`&null; ``string``null```namespace`&null;

Adds a child element to the node and returns a SimpleXMLElement of the child.

&reftitle.parameters;

`qualifiedName`

- The name of the child element to add.

`value`

- If specified, the value of the child element.

`namespace`

- If specified, the namespace to which the child element belongs.

&reftitle.returnvalues;

The `addChild` method returns a `SimpleXMLElement` object representing the child added to the XML node on success; &null; on failure.

&reftitle.examples;

Listed examples may include `example.php`, which refers to the XML string found in the first example of the basic usage guide.

### Add attributes and children to a SimpleXML element

    <?php

    include 'example.php';

    $sxe = new SimpleXMLElement($xmlstr);
    $sxe->addAttribute('type', 'documentary');

    $movie = $sxe->addChild('movie');
    $movie->addChild('title', 'PHP2: More Parser Stories');
    $movie->addChild('plot', 'This is all about the people who make it work.');

    $characters = $movie->addChild('characters');
    $character  = $characters->addChild('character');
    $character->addChild('name', 'Mr. Parser');
    $character->addChild('actor', 'John Doe');

    $rating = $movie->addChild('rating', '5');
    $rating->addAttribute('type', 'stars');

    echo $sxe->asXML();

    ?>

&example.outputs.similar;

    <?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
    <movies type="documentary">
     <movie>
      <title>PHP: Behind the Parser</title>
      <characters>
       <character>
        <name>Ms. Coder</name>
        <actor>Onlivia Actora</actor>
       </character>
       <character>
        <name>Mr. Coder</name>
        <actor>El Act&#xD3;r</actor>
       </character>
      </characters>
      <plot>
       So, this language. It's like, a programming language. Or is it a
       scripting language? All is revealed in this thrilling horror spoof
       of a documentary.
      </plot>
      <great-lines>
       <line>PHP solves all my web problems</line>
      </great-lines>
      <rating type="thumbs">7</rating>
      <rating type="stars">5</rating>
     </movie>
     <movie>
      <title>PHP2: More Parser Stories</title>
      <plot>This is all about the people who make it work.</plot>
      <characters>
       <character>
        <name>Mr. Parser</name>
        <actor>John Doe</actor>
       </character>
      </characters>
      <rating type="stars">5</rating>
     </movie>
    </movies>

&reftitle.seealso;

- `SimpleXMLElement::addAttribute`
- simplexml.examples-basic