- simplexml_load_string: documentation ( source)
<?php
$x = <<<XML
<response request="getHierarchyByMarketType" code="001" message="success" debug="">
<jonny>
<class id="5" name="Formula 1" maxRepDate="2012-12-19" maxRepTime="15:03:34">
<type id="4558" name="F1 Championship" lastUpdateDate="2012-11-26" lastUpdateTime="16:17:33" />
</class>
</jonny>
</response>
XML;
$xml = simplexml_load_string($x);
list($test) = $xml->xpath("//jonny");
echo $test;