PHP not have a function for XML-safe entity decode? Not have some xml_entity_decode?

Question

THE PROBLEM: I need a XML file \"full encoded\" by UTF8; that is, with no entity representing symbols, all symbols enconded by UTF8, except the only 3 ones that are

Answer 1

This question is creating, time-by-time, a "false answer" (see answers). This is perhaps because people not pay attention, and because there are NO ANSWER: there are a lack of PHP build-in solution.

... So, lets repeat my workaround (that is NOT an answer!) to not create more confusion:

The best workaround

Pay attention:

1. The function xml_entity_decode() below is the best (over any other) workaround.
2. The function below is not an answer to the present question, it is only a workwaround.

  function xml_entity_decode($s) {
  // illustrating how a (hypothetical) PHP-build-in-function MUST work
    static $XENTITIES = array('&','>','<');
    static $XSAFENTITIES = array('#_x_amp#;','#_x_gt#;','#_x_lt#;');
    $s = str_replace($XENTITIES,$XSAFENTITIES,$s); 
    $s = html_entity_decode($s, ENT_HTML5|ENT_NOQUOTES, 'UTF-8'); // PHP 5.3+
    $s = str_replace($XSAFENTITIES,$XENTITIES,$s);
    return $s;
 }  

---

To test and to demonstrate that you have a better solution, please test first with this simple benckmark:

  $countBchMk_MAX=1000;
  $xml = file_get_contents('sample1.xml'); // BIG and complex XML string
  $start_time = microtime(TRUE);
  for($countBchMk=0; $countBchMk<$countBchMk_MAX; $countBchMk++){

    $A = xml_entity_decode($xml); // 0.0002

    /* 0.0014
     $doc = new DOMDocument;
     $doc->loadXML($xml, LIBXML_DTDLOAD | LIBXML_NOENT);
     $doc->encoding = 'UTF-8';
     $A = $doc->saveXML();
    */

  }
  $end_time = microtime(TRUE);
  echo "\n
END $countBchMk_MAX BENCKMARKs WITH ",
     ($end_time  - $start_time)/$countBchMk_MAX, 
     " seconds
";