PHP Associative Array internal structure

[bobe1059]

I am an ASP.NET developer and I have to call a soap methed written in PBP that takes an argument required an associative array

such as

 

$prices = array( 'Tires'=>'test1', 'Spark Plugs'=>'test2' );

 

can yoiu tell me what the internal representation is of the above

[fugix]

not 100% sure what you are asking.. but for this

$prices = array( 'Tires'=>'test1', 'Spark Plugs'=>'test2' );

 

arrays are made with keys and values.. so 'key'=>'value'

[ignace]

The internal represenation of an array in PHP is a zval (as is for objects, integers, strings, shit.. anything really). I doubt that is of much use to you so I guess you'll just want to know how you can access the values?

 

echo $prices['Tires']; // test1

[dreamwest]

print_r($prices);

[bobe1059]

tell me if I am wrong.... but PHP associative arrays are a language specific data structures which other languages know nothing about and can not re-create (without knowledge of the internal structure). So a web service written in PHP where an argument required an associative arraycan not be consumed by any other client (ASP.NET is the case) other than PHP clients.

 

[ignace]

You can tell PHP to return any format ASP.NET understands. If ASP.NET understands JSON encoded strings then you can communicate with ASP.NET using JSON-encoded messages or XML or CSV or .. I don't see how the internal structure of an array is important since you are treating it as a webservice.

[bobe1059]

Actually its the other way around. I need to send data to the PHP web service and its requires an associative array for a particular argument. The problem is that no matter what I do (JSON ,XML etc) the PHP side can not read it as an array. I have tried Dictionaries, Array Lists, name Value pairs, VB arrays. I  am trying to tell them that they need to change the PHP web servce to accept serializd data such as XML  so that non-PHP clients can consume the web service.

[ignace]

Do you have control over the PHP code? If the PHP script is a webservice what does the docs say?

 

service.php?myarray[]=hello&myarray[]=world&myarray[]=foo&myarray[]=bar&myarray[]=baz

 

print_r($_GET['myarray']);

[xyph]

Alternately

 

service.php?csv=val1,val2,val3,val4

 

$array = explode( ',', $_GET['csv'] )

 

Keep in mind, order CAN/WILL become a factor here.

 

To avoid this, you can create an associative array

 

service.php?var[foo]=bar&var[bar]=foo

[bobe1059]

I dont have any control over the PHP code here is wha the doc says:

 

Notice the array in the 3rd argument. ASP.NET does not have an "array(=>)" object. No matter what I pass the PHP side returns an error

 

recordUpdate:

recordUpdate(public_id,[contact_id],data)

 

This function will update all data for a record that is not associated with a one to many record.  You must put your public_id or you will get an access error.  If you put a contact_id into the function then you will update a record.  If the contact_id is blank, then you will insert a new record.  The data variable is an array of data you want to update using the DB name as the key.

 

An example of this function would be:

 

Insert:

$c = recordUpdate('public','',array('firstname'=>'John',

'lastname'=>'Doe'));

 

returns:

$c = “new contact_id”

 

$c = recordUpdate('public','1',array('firstname'=>'John',

'lastname'=>'Doe'));

returns:

$c = 1

 

If an error occurs, then recordUpdate will return a text message trying to explain what went wrong.

 

 

 

[xyph]

How are you populating the data variable?

 

Does it accept outside data?

 

How is the function being called within the script?

[bobe1059]

outside data?

 

 

I have tried many ways to populate the array argument ..here is a json serialized example in VB.NET. below returns a soft error from the PHP web service saying it cant read the array data.

 

trying to populate array("Contact1Email"=>"mdrake@pwrx.com")

 

Dim c As New com.contactbeacon.cbapiService

    Dim json As String = "a:1:{s:13:""Contact1Email"";s:15:""mdrake@pwrx.com"";}"

Dim retval As Object = c.recordUpdate("public string ", json)

[xyph]

Oh, I see what's going on here.

 

Your best bet is to get the programmers to allow serialized data.

 

Beyond that, this is more of a SOAP issue than PHP. If .NET is encoding the array properly, then it's possible the PHP script isn't translating them back.

[ignace]

You say you have no control over the PHP the code yet you come up with an example like this:

 

$c = recordUpdate('public','',array('firstname'=>'John',
            'lastname'=>'Doe'));

 

What do you not control? The code of recordUpdate()? What prohibits you from writing:

 

$c = recordUpdate('public','',$_GET['myarray']);

 

Or are you calling this using SOAP? RPC? Help me help you, give me the information I need, don't let me drag it out of you I have no magic ball I can look into.

[xyph]

He already said he was using SOAP.

 

Seems like the PHP script isn't turning the SOAP array passed by .NET back into a PHP array.

[ignace]

The way I see it he should just pass the ASP.NET array to the method the SOAP class will automatically transform it into a format the PHP script will understand.

[xyph]

I was assuming he had tried that