


How can we effectively convert a PHP array\'s var_dump output back into a usable array variable?
Oct 27, 2024 am 01:46 AMConverting var_dump of Array Back to Array Variable
Introduction
Retrieving the original array from its var_dump output can be a daunting task. This article explores creative methods to tackle this challenge within PHP.
Challenge Description
Given an array with multidimensional elements, the goal is to construct a reusable function that reconverts the var_dump output back into a PHP array variable. This function should be efficient and handle complex array structures.
Naive Approach
Attempting to reverse the var_dump output using regular expressions might not be optimal. Parsing and reassembling the complex syntax is susceptible to errors.
Optimized Solution
Instead of relying solely on regular expressions, a creative approach involves converting the var_dump output into a serialized string and then unserializing it. This effectively re-creates the array structure.
Implementation
The following code defines the unvar_dump function that implements the above strategy:
<code class="php">function unvar_dump($str) { // Convert output to newline-separated format if (strpos($str, "\n") === false) { $str = preg_replace(['#(\[.*?\]=>)#', '#(string\(|int\(|float\(|array\(|NULL|object\(|})#'], "\n\1", $str); $str = trim($str); } // Perform regex-based replacements to prepare for serialization $regex = [ '#^\040*NULL\040*$#m', '#^\s*array\((.*?)\)\s*{\s*$#m', '#^\s*string\((.*?)\)\s*(.*?)$#m', '#^\s*int\((.*?)\)\s*$#m', '#^\s*bool\(true\)\s*$#m', '#^\s*bool\(false\)\s*$#m', '#^\s*float\((.*?)\)\s*$#m', '#^\s*\[(\d+)\]\s*=>\s*$#m', '#\s*?\r?\n\s*#m', ]; $replace = [ 'N', 'a:\1:{', 's:\1:\2', 'i:\1', 'b:1', 'b:0', 'd:\1', 'i:\1', ';' ]; $serialized = preg_replace($regex, $replace, $str); // Handle object and custom string keys using callback functions $func = create_function( '$match', 'return "s:".strlen($match[1]).":\"".$match[1]."\"";' ); $serialized = preg_replace_callback( '#\s*\["(.*?)"\]\s*=>#', $func, $serialized ); $func = create_function( '$match', 'return "O:".strlen($match[1]).":\"".$match[1]."\":".$match[2].":{";' ); $serialized = preg_replace_callback( '#object\((.*?)\).*?\((\d+)\)\s*{\s*;#', $func, $serialized ); $serialized = preg_replace( array('#};#', '#{;#'), array('}', '{'), $serialized ); // Unserialize the modified string to reconstruct the array return unserialize($serialized); }</code>
Usage Example
To use this function, simply provide the var_dump output of an array as the input parameter. The function will return the original array.
For instance, given the following var_dump output:
array(4) { ["foo"]=> string(8) "Foo"bar"" [0]=> int(4) [5]=> float(43.2) ["af"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(3) "123" [1]=> object(stdClass)#2 (2) { ["bar"]=> string(4) "bart" ["foo"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(2) "re" } } [2]=> NULL } }
The unvar_dump function would return the original array structure:
array( "foo" => "Foo"bar"", 0 => 4, 5 => 43.2, "af" => array( 0 => "123", 1 => (object) [ "bar" => "bart", "foo" => array( 0 => "re" ) ], 2 => null ) )
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