Preferred method to store PHP arrays (json_encode vs serialize)

Question

I need to store a multi-dimensional associative array of data in a flat file for caching purposes. I might occasionally come across the need to convert it to JSON for use in

Answer 1

If to summ up what people say here, json_decode/encode seems faster than serialize/unserialize BUT If you do var_dump the type of the serialized object is changed. If for some reason you want to keep the type, go with serialize!

(try for example stdClass vs array)

serialize/unserialize:

Array cache:
array (size=2)
  'a' => string '1' (length=1)
  'b' => int 2
Object cache:
object(stdClass)[8]
  public 'field1' => int 123
This cache:
object(Controller\Test)[8]
  protected 'view' => 

json encode/decode

Array cache:
object(stdClass)[7]
  public 'a' => string '1' (length=1)
  public 'b' => int 2
Object cache:
object(stdClass)[8]
  public 'field1' => int 123
This cache:
object(stdClass)[8]

As you can see the json_encode/decode converts all to stdClass, which is not that good, object info lost... So decide based on needs, especially if it is not only arrays...