XML to PHP array

public function xml2array($contents, $get_attributes = 0) {
    if (!$contents) {
        return array();
    }
    if (!function_exists('xml_parser_create')) {
        //print "'xml_parser_create()' function not found!";
        return array();
    }
    //Get the XML parser of PHP - PHP must have this module for the parser to work
    $parser = xml_parser_create();
    xml_parser_set_option($parser, XML_OPTION_CASE_FOLDING, 0);
    xml_parser_set_option($parser, XML_OPTION_SKIP_WHITE, 1);
    xml_parse_into_struct($parser, $contents, $xml_values);
    xml_parser_free($parser);
    if (!$xml_values) {
        return array();
    }
    //Initializations
    $xml_array = array();
    $parents = array();
    $opened_tags = array();
    $arr = array();
    $current = &$xml_array;
    //Go through the tags.
    foreach ($xml_values as $data) {
        unset($attributes, $value); //Remove existing values, or there will be trouble
        //This command will extract these variables into the foreach scope
        // tag(string), type(string), level(int), attributes(array).
        extract($data); //We could use the array by itself, but this cooler.
        $result = '';
        if ($get_attributes) { //The second argument of the function decides this.
            $result = array();
            if (isset($value)) {
                $result['value'] = $value;
            }
            //Set the attributes too.
            if (isset($attributes)) {
                foreach ($attributes as $attr => $val) {
                    if ($get_attributes == 1) {
                        $result['attr'][$attr] = $val;
                    }
                }
            }
        } else if (isset($value)) {
            $result = $value;
        }
        //See tag status and do the needed.
        //The starting of the tag '<tag>'
        if ($type == "open") {
            $parent[$level - 1] = &$current;
            //Insert New tag
            if (!is_array($current) or (!in_array($tag, array_keys($current)))) {
                $current[$tag] = $result;
                $current = &$current[$tag];
            } else {
                //There was another element with the same tag name
                if (isset($current[$tag][0])) {
                    array_push($current[$tag], $result);
                } else {
                    $current[$tag] = array(
                            $current[$tag],
                            $result
                    );
                }
                $last = count($current[$tag]) - 1;
                $current = &$current[$tag][$last];
            }
        } elseif ($type == "complete") {
            //Tags that ends in 1 line '<tag />'
            //See if the key is already taken.
            if (!isset($current[$tag])) { //New Key
                $current[$tag] = $result;
            } else {
                //If taken, put all things inside a list(array)
                if ((is_array($current[$tag]) and $get_attributes == 0) or (isset($current[$tag][0]) and is_array($current[$tag][0]) and $get_attributes == 1)) {
                    array_push($current[$tag], $result);
                    // ...push the new element into that array.
                } else { //If it is not an array...
                    $current[$tag] = array(
                            $current[$tag],
                            $result
                    );
                    //...Make it an array using using the existing value and the new value
                }
            }
        } elseif ($type == 'close') {
            //End of tag '</tag>'
            $current = &$parent[$level - 1];
        }
    }
    return ($xml_array);
}