How to get PHP session variable deeply nested inside array?

Question

Have tried a number of permutations to get a value from a PHP session. The session is an array of objects I think with key value pairs. This is the structure as outputted by a key/value foreach loop

Array
(
    [laboratory_roster] => Array
        (
            [employee_entrance] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [step] => employee_entrance
                    [employee_first_name] => asdfasd
                    [employee_last_name] => fasdfasdfv
                    [employee_access_code] => valid
                    [employee_email] => [email protected]
                    [employee_state_origin] => NY
                    [employee_kit_for_whom] => employee_kit_for_employee
                )

        )

)

This is the foreach loop that I wrote to display the output above:

   foreach($_SESSION['laboratory_roster']['employee_entrance'] as $key=>$value)
    {
        // and print out the values
        echo 'The value of $_SESSION['."'".$key."'".'] is '."'".$value."'".' <br />';
    }

What I wish to do is simply assign the value of the innermost value to a variable. Nothing works. Have tried:

$first_name = $_SESSION['employee_entrance']['employee_first_name'];

and this...

$first_name = $_SESSION['employee_entrance'][1];

and this...

$first_name = $_SESSION['laboratory_roster']['employee_entrance']['employee_first_name'];

and this...

 $first_name = $_SESSION['laboratory_roster']['employee_entrance']['employee_first_name'][0];

Nothing works! It's probably so simple how to get the innermost value into a PHP variable, but I am not getting it. Thanks for help!

Zgoo · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-22 19:03:09Z

1

Two ways:
1 Convert to stdClass: $stdClass = json_decode(json_encode($_SESSION)); Then access with [].
2 Convert to array: $array = json_decode(json_encode($_SESSION), true); Then access with ->.

answered Dec 22, 2017 at 19:03

Zgoo

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1 Comment

Smuuf Over a year ago

The other way around.

Oliver Maksimovic · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-22 20:38:59Z

1

Try:

$first_name = $_SESSION['laboratory_roster']['employee_entrance']->employee_first_name;

As employee_entrance is an object (instance of stdClass) and not an array.

edited Dec 22, 2017 at 20:38

Oliver Maksimovic

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answered Dec 22, 2017 at 18:58

jeprubio

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4 Comments

Rachel Over a year ago

tried this as well: $first_name = $_SESSION['laboratory_roster']['employee_entrance']->employee_first_name;

Oliver Maksimovic Over a year ago

@Rachel it has to work, according to the example posted. See 3v4l.org/00XMi

Rachel Over a year ago

@Oliver it doesn't though. if I do this.. I get nothing rendered: $first_name = $_SESSION['[laboratory_roster'] ['employee_entrance']->employee_first_name; echo('First Name' . $first_name);

Rachel Over a year ago

Something must have been cached/wonky. Working now. Thanks!

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