made _xml_field_parse_xml_string a private function; publicly use xml_field_xml instead;

more documentation

README.txt

@@ -94,13 +94,17 @@ $description = xml_field($node, 'description', NULL, array('check_markup', $form
 Study the docblocks in the code for more info.
 
 
-API:
-* xml_field_xml()
-* xml_field()
-* xml_field_format()
+API
+The three main API Functions:
+* xml_field_xml(): to obtain an XML object
+* xml_field(): to access XML values
+* xml_field_format(): to obtain a string version of any XML
+* xml_field_output(): to output XML to the browser
+
+Additional API functions:
 * xml_field_is_valid_xml_string()
-* xml_field_parse_xml_string()
 * xml_field_xml_fields()
+* theme_xml()
 
 
 OTHER EXAMPLE CODE:

xml_field.module

@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
  * @file
  * Defines the xml field type
  *
+ * Comparison of API Functions:
+ *
+ * When you want a string back use: xml_field_format()
+ * When you want a simpleXMLElement object back: use xml_field_xml()
+ * When you want a node value from XML use: xml_field()
+ * When you want to output to browser use: xml_field_output()
+ *
  * @ingroup xml_field XML Field
  * @{
  */
@@ -16,7 +23,7 @@
  define('XML_FIELD_PRESERVE_WHITESPACE', TRUE);
 
 /**
- * Returns the xml from: entities, fields, objects, strings
+ * Returns the xml object from: entities, fields, objects, strings
  *
  * All of the following are valid input sources and will yield the same result,
    it is your preference how you'd like to use this powerful function (take into
@@ -55,8 +62,8 @@ function xml_field_xml($input, $callback_multiple = 'array_shift') {
   }
 
   // String
-  if (is_string($input) && xml_field_is_valid_xml_string($input)) {
-    return simplexml_load_string($input);
+  if ($xml = _xml_field_parse_xml_string($input)) {
+    return $xml;
   }
 
   $fields = xml_field_xml_fields();
@@ -168,7 +175,7 @@ function xml_field($xml, $selector = NULL, $attribute = NULL, $default = '', $ca
 }
 
 /**
- * Add proper formatting/sanitization to XML
+ * Returns formatted or sanitized XML string
  *
  * @param mixed $xml
  *   Anythign allowed by xml_field_xml()
@@ -270,6 +277,33 @@ function xml_field_format($xml, $htmlentities = TRUE, $options = array()) {
   return trim($result);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns data in XML format.
+ *
+ * Use this when serving XML as it sets the header for XML output.
+ *
+ * @param $var
+ *   (optional) If set, the variable will be run through xml_field_format and
+     then output.
+
+   @see xml_field_format()
+ */
+function xml_field_output($var = NULL, $options = array()) {
+  // We are returning XML, so tell the browser.
+  drupal_add_http_header('Content-Type', 'text/xml');
+
+  if (!variable_get('xml_field_preserve_whitespace', XML_FIELD_PRESERVE_WHITESPACE)) {
+    $options += array(
+      'tab' => '',
+      'break' => '',
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (isset($var)) {
+    echo xml_field_format($var, FALSE, $options);
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse an xml string and return the simpleXMLElement object
  *
@@ -302,7 +336,7 @@ function xml_field_format($xml, $htmlentities = TRUE, $options = array()) {
  *
  * @see http://php.net/manual/en/class.simplexmlelement.php
  */
-function xml_field_parse_xml_string($xml) {
+function _xml_field_parse_xml_string($xml) {
   $parsed = is_string($xml) ? @simplexml_load_string($xml) : FALSE;
   return $parsed instanceof SimpleXMLElement ? $parsed : FALSE;
 }
@@ -315,7 +349,7 @@ function xml_field_parse_xml_string($xml) {
  * @return bool
  */
 function xml_field_is_valid_xml_string($xml) {
-  return xml_field_parse_xml_string($xml) === FALSE ? FALSE : TRUE;
+  return _xml_field_parse_xml_string($xml) === FALSE ? FALSE : TRUE;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -358,32 +392,6 @@ function xml_field_xml_fields($include_bundles_and_entity_types = FALSE) {
   return $include_bundles_and_entity_types ? $entities : $field_list;
 }
 
-/**
- * Returns data in XML format.
- *
- * Use this when serving XML as it sets the header for XML output.
- *
- * @param $var
- *   (optional) If set, the variable will be run through xml_field_format and
-     then output.
-
-   @see xml_field_format()
- */
-function xml_field_output($var = NULL, $options = array()) {
-  // We are returning XML, so tell the browser.
-  drupal_add_http_header('Content-Type', 'text/xml');
-
-  if (!variable_get('xml_field_preserve_whitespace', XML_FIELD_PRESERVE_WHITESPACE)) {
-    $options += array(
-      'tab' => '',
-      'break' => '',
-    );
-  }
-
-  if (isset($var)) {
-    echo xml_field_format($var, FALSE, $options);
-  }
-}
 
 /**
  * Implements hook_field_info().