serial/unserialize

[dennismonsewicz]

I have had these functions explained once, but I didn't necessarily understand the explanation...

 

Can someone explain how these functions are used and what they are used for?

[genericnumber1]

They pretty much turn any object/array/etc into a string that is easily saved in a database, flat file, etc. http://us3.php.net/serialize

[trecool999]

It converts an array to a string.

You can use serialize() to turn an array into a string and save it into a database, then use unserialize() to turn it back into an array again.

[dennismonsewicz]

so it would turn this:

 

<?php

$arr = array("dog", "cat", "horse");

$ser = serialize($arr);

echo $ser;

?>

 

into this:

 

dog, cat, horse

[genericnumber1]

so it would turn this:

 

<?php

$arr = array("dog", "cat", "horse");

$ser = serialize($arr);

echo $ser;

?>

 

into this:

 

dog, cat, horse

 

No, serialize() isn't meant to be human readable, it's meant to be stored and later read by unserialize(). If you want the output you posted there you would use implode().

 

echo implode(', ', array("dog", "cat", "horse"));

 

Using your code to just show you what serialize makes it (and to show how it's not to be meant for human consumption) the output of serialize on the array is:

a:3:{i:0;s:3:"dog";i:1;s:3:"cat";i:2;s:5:"horse";}

[DarkWater]

It's human readable if you know what it's saying...=P

[CroNiX]

It's human readable if you know what it's saying...=P

a:3:{i:0;s:3:"dog";i:1;s:3:"cat";i:2;s:5:"horse";}

 

a:3 =>'this is an array of 3 elements'

{ => 'start of array'

i0;s:3:"dog"; => 'index 0 is a string of 3 characters and its value is 'dog'

i:1;s:3:"cat"; => 'index 1 is a string of 3 characters an its value is 'cat'

i:2;s:5:"horse"; => 'index 2 is a string of 5 characters and its value is 'horse'

} => 'end array'

 

See?  Very readable   same info you get from var_dump, but more compact.

[genericnumber1]

It's human readable if you know what it's saying...=P

 

Yes, but so is binary. serialize() is not made to be read by human USERS, there are other functions for that (of course I don't have to tell YOU that, Mr. function dictionary). That was my point, not that it couldn't be read.

[DarkWater]

It's human readable if you know what it's saying...=P

 

Yes, but so is binary. serialize() is not made to be read by human USERS, there are other functions for that (of course I don't have to tell YOU that, Mr. function dictionary). That was my point, not that it couldn't be read.

 

=P