string to array in php not possible while retieving from database

Question

when i use this code

$a=array ( 'Q1' => 'gravity', 'Q2' => 'm*a',);

print_r($a); output will be array

$a is an array

suppose array ( 'Q1' => 'gravity', 'Q2' => 'm*a', ) is stored in a table column

when retrieved this column values and stored in a variable then that variable is not an array

If you store a string in a database, you will retrieve a string. "array ( 'Q1' => 'gravity', 'Q2' => 'm*a', )" is a string. Have a look at serialize() : you can store an array as a string, and then unserialize this string to retrieve your array. — user3849602
– user3849602, Commented Feb 20, 2015 at 11:02
Its indeed a string, not an array. You don't store arrays like that in a database and then convert them to real arrays on runtime. See the comment above about serialize() — Hanky Panky
– Hanky Panky, Commented Feb 20, 2015 at 11:03

zafirov · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-20 11:17:25Z

1

before you save in db try:

json_encode($a);

result is json string, You should save that string in database. Then when you get from db just json decode that string.

json_decode($string_from_database);

answered Feb 20, 2015 at 11:17

zafirov

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1 Comment

Use json_decode($string_from_database,TRUE); rather to get exact array instead of stdclass object.

Eduard Luca · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-20 12:17:46Z

0

You can store array in to database using this one

$a=array ( 'Q1' => 'gravity', 'Q2' => 'm*a',);
$arrstr=mysql_escape_string(serialize($a));

Retrived by this function

$array= unserialize();

Eduard Luca

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answered Feb 20, 2015 at 11:31

Jasper

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while retrieving,is_array($array) is false