print php variable in PHP-readable form

Question

I have a need to print a complex PHP variable that can be pasted into code directly. print_r doesn't do it as when I use it, I get something like this:

Array
(
    [cost] => 218.16
    [discount] => Array(...)
    [description] => Cost Not Included
    [quantity] => 1
)

which cannot be immediately pasted into PHP code. I instead need something like so (with commas added, brackets changes to ampersands, etc)

array
(
    'cost' => '218.16',
    'discount' => array(...),
    'description' => 'Cost Not Included',
    'quantity' => 1,
),

How?

Currently I do it manually in my text editing program...

linked question convert output of print_r into PHP readable form. Similar in a roundabout way, but not the same as printing out an array in PHP readable form as the first step. — Dennis
– Dennis, Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 15:15

Oleg Dubas · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-20 15:09:50Z

4

Try :

var_export( $array );

It will print it.
Or if you want it in a string, then:

var_export($array, true);

answered Jan 20, 2015 at 15:09

Oleg Dubas

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Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:24:09Z

1

You can achieve that by using the var_export function as described from this post.

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:24

CommunityBot

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answered Jan 20, 2015 at 15:08

bettersayhello

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