In SimpleXML, how can I add an existing SimpleXMLElement as a child element?

simplexml-import.php

<?php
/**
 * In SimpleXML, how can I add an existing SimpleXMLElement as a child element?
 * 
 * @link http://stackoverflow.com/q/767327/367456
 * @link http://eval.in/9568
 * @link http://3v4l.org/1sI05
 */

/**
 * Insert XML into a SimpleXMLElement
 *
 * @param SimpleXMLElement $parent
 * @param string $xml
 * @param bool $before
 * @return bool XML string added
 */
function simplexml_import_xml(SimpleXMLElement $parent, $xml, $before = false)
{
    $xml = (string)$xml;

    // check if there is something to add
    if ($nodata = !strlen($xml) or $parent[0] == NULL) {
        return $nodata;
    }

    // add the XML
    $node     = dom_import_simplexml($parent);
    $fragment = $node->ownerDocument->createDocumentFragment();
    $fragment->appendXML($xml);

    if ($before) {
        return (bool)$node->parentNode->insertBefore($fragment, $node);
    }

    return (bool)$node->appendChild($fragment);
}

$parent = new SimpleXMLElement('<parent/>');

// insert some XML
simplexml_import_xml($parent, "\n  <test><this>now</this></test>\n");

// insert some XML before a certain element, here the first <test> element
// that was just added
simplexml_import_xml($parent->test, "<!-- leave a comment -->\n  ", $before = true);

// you can place comments above the root element
simplexml_import_xml($parent, "<!-- this works, too -->", $before = true);

// but take care, you can produce invalid XML, too:
// simplexml_add_xml($parent, "<warn><but>take care!</but> you can produce invalid XML, too</warn>", $before = true);

echo $parent->asXML(), "\n.........................................\n\n";

$test = simplexml_load_string($parent->asXML()); // validate

/**
 * Insert SimpleXMLElement into SimpleXMLElement
 *
 * @param SimpleXMLElement $parent
 * @param SimpleXMLElement $child
 * @param bool $before
 * @return bool SimpleXMLElement added
 */
function simplexml_import_simplexml(SimpleXMLElement $parent, SimpleXMLElement $child, $before = false)
{
    // check if there is something to add
    if ($child[0] == NULL) {
        return true;
    }

    // if it is a list of SimpleXMLElements default to the first one
    $child = $child[0];

    // insert attribute
    if ($child->xpath('.') != array($child)) {
        $parent[$child->getName()] = (string)$child;
        return true;
    }

    $xml = $child->asXML();

    // remove the XML declaration on document elements
    if ($child->xpath('/*') == array($child)) {
        $pos = strpos($xml, "\n");
        $xml = substr($xml, $pos + 1);
    }

    return simplexml_import_xml($parent, $xml, $before);
}

// append the element itself to itself
simplexml_import_simplexml($parent, $parent);

// insert <this> before the first child element (<test>)
simplexml_import_simplexml($parent->children(), $parent->test->this, true);

// add an attribute to the document element
$test = new SimpleXMLElement('<test attribute="value" />');
simplexml_import_simplexml($parent, $test->attributes());

echo $parent->asXML();