How can PHP developers ensure they are accurately selecting the correct XML nodes using XPath expressions, especially when dealing with nested structures and multiple levels of hierarchy?

To accurately select the correct XML nodes using XPath expressions in PHP, developers can use specific XPath queries that target the desired nodes based on their unique paths within the XML document. It's important to carefully analyze the XML structure and understand the hierarchy of elements to construct precise XPath expressions. Testing the XPath queries with sample XML data can help ensure the correct nodes are being selected, especially when dealing with nested structures and multiple levels of hierarchy.

$xml = '<root>
    <parent>
        <child id="1">Node 1</child>
        <child id="2">Node 2</child>
    </parent>
</root>';

$doc = new DOMDocument();
$doc->loadXML($xml);
$xpath = new DOMXPath($doc);

// Selecting all child nodes under the parent element
$nodes = $xpath->query('/root/parent/child');
foreach ($nodes as $node) {
    echo $node->nodeValue . PHP_EOL;
}