What kind of encoding is this?

[shoover56]

Good evening everyone. I am writing some custom code over a WP site and I noticed that a value I need to grab is encoded into a string from a mysql table such as this:

 

a:3:{s:13:"checkout_type";s:14:"create-listing";s:4:"plan";i:41;s:6:"addons";a:0:{}}

 

(The value i need to grab is the 41 in i:41)

 

I'm just wondering if this is a 'type' of encoding and that a singular built in php function can do. If not, then I can do it on my own, just don't want to waste time exploding and str_replacing till I get it if it actually is a standard for metadata.

 

Thank you kind gentlemen and lady developers

-Steve

[mentalist]

json

http://php.net/manual/en/book.json.php

[shoover56]

Oh thanks mentalist. I actually did try json decoding it and it didn't work the first time. Guess I messed up on it.

[boompa]

Nope, that's not JSON. Looks like a serialized array. You would use unserialize to get the PHP array out of it.