xpath to get data out of nested element

If you want to get just the node:

BrowserNodes/BrowserNode[Name=_______]/Ancestors/BrowserNode/Name

If you want to get the node's text:

BrowserNodes/BrowserNode[Name=_______]/Ancestors/BrowserNode/Name/text()

In both examples, replace _ with the name for which you are searching.

Find below example:

<?php
$xmlString ="
<BrowseNodes>
  <BrowseNode>
     <Name>Category</Name>
     <BrowseNodeId>123456</BrowseNodeId>
     <Ancestors>
       <BrowseNode>
         <Name>Whatever</Name>
        <BrowseNodeId>987654</BrowseNodeId>   
        </BrowseNode>
     </Ancestors>
  </BrowseNode>
 <BrowseNode>
     <Name>Category</Name>
     <BrowseNodeId>123456</BrowseNodeId>
     <Ancestors>
       <BrowseNode>
         <Name>Whatever</Name>
        <BrowseNodeId>987654</BrowseNodeId>   
        </BrowseNode>
     </Ancestors>
  </BrowseNode>   
</BrowseNodes>";
$result=  simplexml_load_string($xmlString); 
$counter =0;
$newArray=array();
foreach($result->BrowseNode as $arr) {
    $newArray[$counter]['Name'] =(string)$arr->Name;
    $newArray[$counter]['BrowseNodeId'] =(string)$arr->BrowseNodeId;
    $newArray[$counter]['Ancestors']['Name'] =(string)$arr->Ancestors->BrowseNode->Name;
    $newArray[$counter]['Ancestors']['BrowseNodeId'] =(string)$arr->Ancestors->BrowseNode->BrowseNodeId;    
    $counter++;
}
print"<pre>";
print_r($newArray);
die;
?>