How to Convert a PHP `print_r()` String Output Back into an Array?

How to Convert a String Representation of an Array Back to an Array

In PHP, when you print an array using print_r(), it converts it into a visually-formatted string. While useful for debugging, this string format is not directly convertible back to an array. However, with some custom parsing logic, it is possible to recreate the original array.

A custom function, text_to_array(), was developed to tackle this conversion. It operates by:

Parsing the String:

• The function first checks if the given string starts with "Array", indicating that it represents an array.
• The array contents, enclosed within brackets, are extracted.
• Delimiters ([, ], and =>) are replaced with placeholder characters (#!# and #?#) to facilitate parsing.
• The modified array contents are then split into individual fields at the #!# delimiter.

Creating the New Array:

• For each field, it uses the #?# delimiter to separate the key and value.
• If the key is not empty, it adds the key-value pair to the new array.

Example Usage:

Consider the following array:

$a = ['foo' => 'fooMe'];

After converting it to a string using print_r(), you get:

Array ( [foo] => fooMe )

Passing this string to the text_to_array() function will result in the original array:

$b = text_to_array('Array ( [foo] => fooMe )');
print_r($b);

This outputs:

Array
(
    [foo] => fooMe
)

By implementing this custom parsing logic, you can recreate an array from its printed string representation, enabling you to restore array functionality even after debugging.

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