---
name: "PHP::Serialization"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libphp-serialization-perl"
version: "0.34-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/PHP::Serialization"
---

# PHP::Serialization(3pm)

simple flexible means of converting the output of PHP's serialize() into the equivalent Perl memory structure, and vice versa.

## NAME

PHP::Serialization - simple flexible means of converting the output of PHP's serialize() into the equivalent Perl memory structure, and vice versa.

## SYNOPSIS

```
    use PHP::Serialization qw(serialize unserialize);
    my $encoded = serialize({ a => 1, b => 2});
    my $hashref = unserialize($encoded);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Provides a simple, quick means of serializing perl memory structures (including object data!) into a format that PHP can **deserialize()** and access, and vice versa.

NOTE: Converts PHP arrays into Perl Arrays when the PHP array used exclusively numeric indexes, and into Perl Hashes then the PHP array did not.

## FUNCTIONS

Exportable functions..

### serialize($var,\[optional $asString,\[optional $sortHashes\]\])

Serializes the memory structure pointed to by `$var`, and returns a scalar value of encoded data.

If the optional `$asString` is true, `$var` will be encoded as string if it is double or float.

If the optional `$sortHashes` is true, all hashes will be sorted before serialization.

NOTE: Will recursively encode objects, hashes, arrays, etc.

SEE ALSO: -\>**encode()**

### unserialize($encoded,\[optional CLASS\])

Deserializes the encoded data in `$encoded`, and returns a value (be it a hashref, arrayref, scalar, etc) representing the data structure serialized in `$encoded_string`.

If the optional CLASS is specified, any objects are blessed into CLASS::$serialized\_class. Otherwise, O bjects are blessed into PHP::Serialization::Object::$serialized\_class. (which has no methods)

SEE ALSO: -\>**decode()**

## METHODS

Functionality available if using the object interface..

### decode($encoded\_string,\[optional CLASS\])

Deserializes the encoded data in `$encoded`, and returns a value (be it a hashref, arrayref, scalar, etc) representing the data structure serialized in `$encoded_string`.

If the optional CLASS is specified, any objects are blessed into CLASS::$serialized\_class. Otherwise, Objects are blessed into PHP::Serialization::Object::$serialized\_class. (which has no methods)

SEE ALSO: **unserialize()**

### encode($reference,\[optional $asString,\[optional $sortHashes\]\])

Serializes the memory structure pointed to by `$reference`, and returns a scalar value of encoded data.

If the optional `$asString` is true, `$reference` will be encoded as string if it is double or float.

If the optional `$sortHashes` is true, all hashes will be sorted before serialization.

NOTE: Will recursively encode objects, hashes, arrays, etc.

SEE ALSO: **serialize()**

## TODO

Support diffrent object types

## AUTHOR INFORMATION

Copyright (c) 2003 Jesse Brown \<jbrown@cpan.org\>. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

Various patches contributed by assorted authors on rt.cpan.org (as detailed in Changes file).

Currently maintained by Tomas Doran \<bobtfish@bobtfish.net\>.

Rewritten to solve all known bugs by Bjørn-Olav Strand \<bolav@cpan.org\>