How to convert array to a string using methods other than JSON?

Question

What is a function in PHP used to convert array to string, other than using JSON?

I know there is a function that directly does like JSON. I just don't remember.

Answer 1

serialize() is the function you are looking for. It will return a string representation of its input array or object in a PHP-specific internal format. The string may be converted back to its original form with unserialize().

But beware, that not all objects are serializable, or some may be only partially serializable and unable to be completely restored with unserialize().

$array = array(1,2,3,'foo');
echo serialize($array);

// Prints
a:4:{i:0;i:1;i:1;i:2;i:2;i:3;i:3;s:3:"foo";}

Answer 2

Use the implode() function:

$array = array('lastname', 'email', 'phone');
$comma_separated = implode(",", $array);
echo $comma_separated; // lastname,email,phone

Answer 3

readable output!

echo json_encode($array);     //outputs--->    "name1":"value1",  "name2":"value2",  ...

OR

echo print_r($array, true);

Answer 4

You are looking for serialize(). Here is an example:

$array = array('foo', 'bar');

//Array to String
$string = serialize($array);

//String to array
$array = unserialize($string);

Answer 5

Another good alternative is http_build_query

$data = array('foo'=>'bar',
              'baz'=>'boom',
              'cow'=>'milk',
              'php'=>'hypertext processor');

echo http_build_query($data) . "\n";
echo http_build_query($data, '', '&');

Will print

foo=bar&baz=boom&cow=milk&php=hypertext+processor
foo=bar&baz=boom&cow=milk&php=hypertext+processor

More info here http://php.net/manual/en/function.http-build-query.php

Answer 6

use php implode() or serialize()

Answer 7

Display array in beautiful way:

function arrayDisplay($input)
{
    return implode(
        ', ',
        array_map(
            function ($v, $k) {
                return sprintf("%s => '%s'", $k, $v);
            },
            $input,
            array_keys($input)
        )
    );
}

$arr = array('foo'=>'bar',
              'baz'=>'boom',
              'cow'=>'milk',
              'php'=>'hypertext processor');

echo arrayDisplay($arr);

Displays:

foo => 'bar', baz => 'boom', cow => 'milk', php => 'hypertext processor'

Answer 8

There are different ways to do this some of them has given. implode(), join(), var_export(), print_r(), serialize(), json_encode()exc... You can also write your own function without these:

A For() loop is very useful. You can add your array's value to another variable like this:

<?php
    $dizi=array('mother','father','child'); //This is array

    $sayi=count($dizi);
    for ($i=0; $i<$sayi; $i++) {
        $dizin.=("'$dizi[$i]',"); //Now it is string...
    }
         echo substr($dizin,0,-1); //Write it like string :D
?>

In this code we added $dizi's values and comma to $dizin:

$dizin.=("'$dizi[$i]',");

Now

$dizin = 'mother', 'father', 'child',

It's a string, but it has an extra comma :)

And then we deleted the last comma, substr($dizin, 0, -1);

Output:

'mother','father','child'