PHP DomDoc & XPath get number of unknown child elements -

i retrieve contents of website domdoc , query elements xpath. example query <p> elements - doing inside loop $paragraphs = $dom->query('//p')->item(i); , continue manipulate <p> inside loop. now, there way find out kind of other html elements maybe inside <p> , how many other elements inside paragraph element?

i have seen example : php documentation

but seems work if know child elements? how can count , element name if "contents" of <p></p>is unknown me.

thank you!

well, on dom element have can use getelementsbytagname('*') find descendant elements or can use xpath relative element find child element path * or count them xpath expression count(*) or can same descendant elements using .//* respectively count(.//*).

so given $element = $dom->query('//p')->item(i); can use $element->getelementsbytagname('*')->length dom way find descendants, or $dom->query('.//*', $element) xpath way. child elements use $dom->query('*', $element).