[PHP] Arrays not recognized in Simple XML Objects (using print_r)

[Yashesh Bhatia]

hi! i'm trying to use the simple_xml functions to get an arrray of
data from a sample xml file.
here's my sample_data.xml
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<sample_data>
 <first_names>
   <first_name>amit</first_name>
   <first_name>amar</first_name>
 </first_names>
</sample_data>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the php file
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<?php
$sample_data = simplexml_load_file("sample_data.xml");
print_r($sample_data);
print_r($sample_data->first_names);
print_r($sample_data->first_names->first_name);
?>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
output of "$ php test_xml_1.php"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
   [first_names] => SimpleXMLElement Object
       (
           [first_name] => Array
               (
                   [0] => amit
                   [1] => amar
               )
       )
)
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
   [first_name] => Array
       (
           [0] => amit
           [1] => amar
       )
)
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
   [0] => amit
)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above output shows $sample_data->first_names->first_name as an
ARRAY in the first 2 print_r 's however when a print_r is run on
itself it shows it as a SimpleXMLElementObject.
Question is why the last print_r gives different information
compared to the other 2.
I also tried running
$key = array_rand($sample_data->first_names->first_name)
and it gives a warning message
"Warning: array_rand(): First argument has to be an array in 
/home/yvb/work/practice/php/XML/foo.php on line 16"

any clue how do i use the
$sample_data->first_names->first_name as an array ?
thx.
yashesh.
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