Encoders

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Built-in Encoders
- The XmlEncoder
- The JsonEncoder

Encoders

Encoders basically turn arrays into formats and vice versa. They implement EncoderInterface for encoding (array to format) and DecoderInterface for decoding (format to array).

You can add new encoders to a Serializer instance by using its second constructor argument:

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        use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Serializer;
use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Encoder\XmlEncoder;
use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Encoder\JsonEncoder;

$encoders = array(new XmlEncoder(), new JsonEncoder());
$serializer = new Serializer(array(), $encoders);
    

Built-in Encoders

Two encoders are used in the example above:

XmlEncoder to encode/decode XML
JsonEncoder to encode/decode JSON

The `XmlEncoder`

This encoder transforms arrays into XML and vice versa.

For example, take an object normalized as following:

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        array('foo' => array(1, 2), 'bar' => true);
    

The XmlEncoder will encode this object like that:

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        <?xml version="1.0"?>
<response>
    <foo>1</foo>
    <foo>2</foo>
    <bar>1</bar>
</response>
    

Be aware that this encoder will consider keys beginning with @ as attributes:

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        $encoder = new XmlEncoder();
$encoder->encode(array('foo' => array('@bar' => 'value')));
// will return:
// <?xml version="1.0"?>
// <response>
//     <foo bar="value" />
// </response>
    