Generate XML file in Magento 2

In this blog, we are going to learn that how we can generate XML files or how we can write data in xml file.

In Magento 2, it provides \Magento\Framework\Convert\ConvertArray class that contains the assocToXml method to convert an array into XML format. This formatted data we can write in the XML file.

In the following example, we have created an array that will be written in the XML file.

Here, we have created GenerateXml.php Controller file inside app/code/Vendor/CustomModule/Controller/Demo/ directory.

<?php
/**
 * Webkul Software.
 *
 * @category  Webkul
 * @package   Vendor_CustomModule
 * @author    Webkul
 * @copyright Copyright (c) Webkul Software Private Limited (https://webkul.com)
 * @license   https://store.webkul.com/license.html
 */
namespace Vendor\CustomModule\Controller\Demo;

use Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action;
use Magento\Framework\App\Action\Context;

class GenerateXml extends Action
{
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Io\File
     */
    protected $file;

    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Convert\ConvertArray
     */
    protected $convertArray;
    
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory
     */
    protected $resultJsonFactory;

    /**
     * initialization
     *
     * @param Context $context
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Io\File $file
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Convert\ConvertArray $convertArray
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory $resultJsonFactory
     */
    public function __construct(
        Context $context,
        \Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Io\File $file,
        \Magento\Framework\Convert\ConvertArray $convertArray,
        \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory $resultJsonFactory
    ) {
        $this->file         = $file;
        $this->convertArray = $convertArray;
        $this->resultJsonFactory = $resultJsonFactory;
        parent::__construct($context);
    }

    /**
     * Execute
     * @return json
     */
    public function execute()
    {
        $result = $this->resultJsonFactory->create();
        $flag   = $this->generateXml(); //call method to generate xml file
        $data   = ['message' => '', 'success' => false];
        if ($flag) {
            $data   = ['message' => 'File products.xml created.', 'success' => true];
        } else {
            $data   = ['message' => 'Something went wrong.', 'success' => false];
        }
        return $result->setData($data);
    }

    /**
     * Generate xml file
     * @return bool
     */
    public function generateXml()
    {
        $result = false;
        try {
            $product1 = [
                "productId" => 1,
                "productName" => "T-Shirt",
                "sku" => "tshirt",
                "price" => 45,
                "baseCurrency" => "USD",
                "customAttributes" => [
                    "color" => "Red",
                    "printType" => "Floral",
                    "sellerInfo" => [
                        "sellerName" => "Saroz",
                        "contact" => 987678
                    ]
                ]
            ];
            $product2 = [
                "productId" => 2,
                "productName" => "Women T-Shirt",
                "sku" => "w-tshirt",
                "price" => 55,
                "baseCurrency" => "EUR",
                "customAttributes" => [
                    "color" => "Green",
                    "printType" => "Plain",
                    "sellerInfo" => [
                        "sellerName" => "Reema",
                        "contact" => 898912
                    ]
                ]
            ];
            $products = [
               "productList1" => [
                  "product1"=>$product1,
                  "product2"=>$product2
               ]
            ];
            
            // ConvertArray function assocToXml to create xmlContents
            $xmlContents = $this->convertArray->assocToXml($products, "productLists");
    
            // convert it to xml using asXML() function
            $content = $xmlContents->asXML();
            
            $this->file->write("products.xml", $content);
            $result = true;
        } catch(\Exception $e) {
            $result = false;
        }
        return $result;
    }
}

When we execute the above controller in the browser’s window, we get the following response, and an XML file generate named as products.xml inside <magento-root-dir>/pub/ directory.

Note: Don’t pass any value in a simple array format like [“XL”, “XS”] in any key. It should be like [“size1″=>”XL”, “size2″=>”XS”] associative array. Because when you will use simple array like [“XL”, “XS”] format, then generated XML will not be valid.
Please refer to the following example for a better understanding.

Example: Array $product contains a simple array in the “size” key. Its generated XML will be in the following XML format. But when you will open this XML in the browser’s window, it will show an error like the following image.

$products = [
                "productId" => 1,
                "productName" => "T-Shirt",
                "sku" => "tshirt",
                "price" => 45,
                "baseCurrency" => "USD",
                "customAttributes" => [
                    "color" => "Red",
                    "size" => ["XL", "XS"]
                ]
            ];
            // ConvertArray function assocToXml to create xmlContents
            $xmlContents = $this->convertArray->assocToXml($products, "productLists");
    
            // convert it to xml using asXML() function
            $content = $xmlContents->asXML();
            
            $this->file->write("products.xml", $content);

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<productLists>
    <productId>1</productId>
    <productName>T-Shirt</productName>
    <sku>tshirt</sku>
    <price>45</price>
    <baseCurrency>USD</baseCurrency>
    <customAttributes>
        <color>Red</color>
        <size>
            <0>XL</0>
            <1>XS</1>
        </size>
    </customAttributes>
</productLists>

Hope this will be helpful. Thanks 🙂

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