Convert the array into a string and restore it back to the array

$str = array
(
 'a' => 'aa',
 'b' => 'bb',
 'c' => array
 (
 0 => 1,
 1 => 2,
 2 => 34,
 3 => 4,
 ),

);
//Convert the array into a string, which can be directly stored in the database
$s = var_export($str, true);
//Restore back to array from string
eval("$st = $s;");
var_dump($st);