Is there a way to pull remotely generated XML, process it, and display it on a Managed WordPress page?

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a WordPress Plugin for Fetching and Displaying Remote XML Data

1. Create a New Plugin Directory

• Connect to your WordPress installation via FTP or use the file manager in your hosting control panel.
• Navigate to wp-content/plugins/.
• Create a new directory named remote-xml-fetch.

2. Create the Plugin File

• Inside the remote-xml-fetch directory, create a new file named remote-xml-fetch.php.

3. Add Plugin Header

• Open remote-xml-fetch.php in a text editor and add the following plugin header:

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Remote XML Fetch and Display
 * Description: Fetches remote XML data and displays it on a WordPress page.
 * Version: 1.0
 * Author: Your Name
 */

4. Add Function to Fetch XML Data

• Below the plugin header, add the following PHP function to fetch and process the XML data:

function fetch_remote_xml_data() {
    $yesterday = date('d-M-y', strtotime('-1 day'));
    $url = "https://<sanitized site and directories>/<filename>.xsql?stn=&sig=LOC&type=&start={$yesterday}&end={$yesterday}&time=&priority=&fmodel=&sort=&ndays=&user=";

    $response = wp_remote_get($url);

    if ( is_wp_error($response) ) {
        return 'Failed to fetch data.';
    }

    $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body($response);

    if ( empty($body) ) {
        return 'No data retrieved.';
    }

    $xml = simplexml_load_string($body);

    if ( $xml === false ) {
        return 'Failed to parse XML.';
    }

    // Process and display the XML data
    $output="<table id="myTable"><tr><th>Number</th><th>Name</th><th>Latitude</th></tr>";
    foreach ( $xml->row as $row ) {
        $number = $row->firstField;
        $name = $row->secondField;
        $lat = $row->thirdField;
        $output .= "<tr><th>{$number}</th><td>{$name}</td><td>{$lat}</td></tr>";
    }
    $output .= '</table>';

    return $output;
}

5. Create a Shortcode to Display the Data

• Add the following function to create a shortcode that displays the fetched XML data:

function display_remote_xml_data() {
    return fetch_remote_xml_data();
}
add_shortcode('display_xml_data', 'display_remote_xml_data');

6. Save and Upload the Plugin File

• Save the changes to remote-xml-fetch.php.
• Upload the remote-xml-fetch.php file to the remote-xml-fetch directory on your WordPress server if you edited it locally.

7. Activate the Plugin

• Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
• Navigate to Plugins.
• Find Remote XML Fetch and Display in the list and click Activate.

8. Use the Shortcode in a Post or Page

• Edit the post or page where you want to display the XML data.
• Add the following shortcode where you want the data to appear:

[display_xml_data]

9. Verify the Output

• View the post or page to ensure the XML data is fetched and displayed correctly in a table.