What are the advantages and disadvantages of using DOMDocument and XPath over regular expressions for manipulating HTML content in PHP?

When manipulating HTML content in PHP, using DOMDocument and XPath is generally preferred over regular expressions because it provides a more reliable and structured way to parse and manipulate HTML elements. Regular expressions can be error-prone and difficult to maintain when dealing with complex HTML structures. DOMDocument and XPath allow for easier navigation and manipulation of HTML elements, making it a more suitable choice for parsing and modifying HTML content. 

// Using DOMDocument and XPath to manipulate HTML content
$html = '<div><p>Hello, World!</p></div>';
$doc = new DOMDocument();
$doc->loadHTML($html);

$xpath = new DOMXPath($doc);
$paragraph = $xpath->query('//p')->item(0);
$paragraph->nodeValue = 'Goodbye, World!';

echo $doc->saveHTML();

Keywords

DOMDocument XPath regular expressions HTML content manipulation

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