What are the benefits of using SimpleXML in PHP for XML file processing?

SimpleXML in PHP provides a simple and intuitive way to parse and manipulate XML data. It allows for easy navigation through the XML tree structure and accessing elements and attributes. Additionally, SimpleXML automatically converts the XML data into an object, making it easier to work with compared to using the DOM extension.

$xml = simplexml_load_file('data.xml');

// Accessing elements and attributes
echo $xml->book[0]->title;
echo $xml->book[0]['category'];

// Iterating through elements
foreach ($xml->book as $book) {
    echo $book->title . "<br>";
}

// Modifying XML data
$xml->book[0]->title = "New Title";
$xml->asXML('updated_data.xml');