XML Server-side XML

How it works

This complete PHP CLI lab uses an in-memory SQLite database with fictional rows. DOMDocument creates element and text nodes so an ampersand cannot become markup. A real HTTP endpoint should set Content-Type: application/xml; charset=UTF-8 before writing bytes, check authorization and handle database failures. Classic ASP is a different legacy server runtime; it is not executed by PHP or by the browser, and the course does not pretend that an ASP snippet was tested here.

Run the code

Use PHP 8.2+ with DOM, PDO and pdo_sqlite. Run php server-serialization.php in an empty local lab. This is a CLI serialization example using an in-memory database, not a deployed HTTP endpoint.

Download the complete server-serialization.php source. Keep each lab in its own folder. Sources are served as text, not as public executable server scripts. Review the starting setup.

Example

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
$db = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
$db->exec('CREATE TABLE packet (id TEXT, name TEXT)');
$insert = $db->prepare('INSERT INTO packet VALUES (?, ?)');
$insert->execute(['p4', 'Peas & beans']);
$document = new DOMDocument('1.0', 'UTF-8');
$root = $document->appendChild($document->createElement('exchange'));
foreach ($db->query('SELECT id, name FROM packet ORDER BY id') as $row) {
    $packet = $root->appendChild($document->createElement('packet'));
    $packet->setAttribute('id', $row['id']);
    $packet->appendChild($document->createTextNode($row['name']));
}
echo $document->saveXML($document->documentElement), PHP_EOL;

Expected result

<exchange><packet id="p4">Peas &amp; beans</packet></exchange>

Run the source with PHP 8.2+ and the DOM, PDO and pdo_sqlite extensions. The query is deterministic and the database disappears when the process ends. This review proves CLI serialization, not Apache routing, authentication or an ASP deployment.