<?php
 
function XML2Array($xmlContent, $out = array()){
    $xmlObject = is_object($xmlContent) ? $xmlContent : simplexml_load_string($xmlContent);
    foreach((array) $xmlObject as $index => $node)
        $out[$index] = ( is_object($node) || is_array($node) ) ? XML2Array( $node ) : $node;
    return $out;
}
 
$page = <<<FIM
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='us-ascii'?>
 
<!--  A SAMPLE set of slides  -->
 
<slideshow 
    title="Sample Slide Show"
    date="Date of publication"
    author="Yours Truly"
    >
 
    <!-- TITLE SLIDE -->
    <slide type="all">
      <title>Wake up to WonderWidgets!</title>
    </slide>
 
    <!-- OVERVIEW -->
    <slide type="all">
        <title>Overview</title>
        <item>Why <em>WonderWidgets</em> are great</item>
        <item/>
        <item>Who <em>buys</em> WonderWidgets</item>
    </slide>
 
</slideshow>
FIM;
$array = XML2Array($page);
print_r($array);

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