var_export(3) [php man page]
VAR_EXPORT(3) 1 VAR_EXPORT(3) var_export - Outputs or returns a parsable string representation of a variable SYNOPSIS
mixed var_export (mixed $expression, [bool $return = false]) DESCRIPTION
var_export(3) gets structured information about the given variable. It is similar to var_dump(3) with one exception: the returned represen- tation is valid PHP code. PARAMETERS
o $expression - The variable you want to export. o $return - If used and set to TRUE, var_export(3) will return the variable representation instead of outputting it. RETURN VALUES
Returns the variable representation when the $return parameter is used and evaluates to TRUE. Otherwise, this function will return NULL. NOTES
Note When the $return parameter is used, this function uses internal output buffering so it cannot be used inside an ob_start(3) callback function. CHANGELOG
+--------+---------------------------------------------------+ |Version | | | | | | | Description | | | | +--------+---------------------------------------------------+ | 5.1.0 | | | | | | | Possibility to export classes and arrays con- | | | taining classes using the __set_state() magic | | | method. | | | | +--------+---------------------------------------------------+ EXAMPLES
Example #1 var_export(3) Examples <?php $a = array (1, 2, array ("a", "b", "c")); var_export($a); ?> The above example will output: array ( 0 => 1, 1 => 2, 2 => array ( 0 => 'a', 1 => 'b', 2 => 'c', ), ) <?php $b = 3.1; $v = var_export($b, true); echo $v; ?> The above example will output: 3.1 Example #2 Exporting classes since PHP 5.1.0 <?php class A { public $var; } $a = new A; $a->var = 5; var_export($a); ?> The above example will output: A::__set_state(array( 'var' => 5, )) Example #3 Using __set_state() (since PHP 5.1.0) <?php class A { public $var1; public $var2; public static function __set_state($an_array) { $obj = new A; $obj->var1 = $an_array['var1']; $obj->var2 = $an_array['var2']; return $obj; } } $a = new A; $a->var1 = 5; $a->var2 = 'foo'; eval('$b = ' . var_export($a, true) . ';'); // $b = A::__set_state(array( // 'var1' => 5, // 'var2' => 'foo', // )); var_dump($b); ?> The above example will output: object(A)#2 (2) { ["var1"]=> int(5) ["var2"]=> string(3) "foo" } NOTES
Note Variables of type resource couldn't be exported by this function. Note var_export(3) does not handle circular references as it would be close to impossible to generate parsable PHP code for that. If you want to do something with the full representation of an array or object, use serialize(3). Warning When var_export(3) exports objects, the leading backslash is not included in the class name of namespaced classes for maximum com- patibility. SEE ALSO
print_r(3), serialize(3), var_dump(3). PHP Documentation Group VAR_EXPORT(3)
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FUNC_GET_ARG(3) 1 FUNC_GET_ARG(3) func_get_arg - Return an item from the argument list SYNOPSIS
mixed func_get_arg (int $arg_num) DESCRIPTION
Gets the specified argument from a user-defined function's argument list. This function may be used in conjunction with func_get_args(3) and func_num_args(3) to allow user-defined functions to accept variable- length argument lists. PARAMETERS
o $arg_num - The argument offset. Function arguments are counted starting from zero. RETURN VALUES
Returns the specified argument, or FALSE on error. CHANGELOG
+--------+---------------------------------------------------+ |Version | | | | | | | Description | | | | +--------+---------------------------------------------------+ | 5.3.0 | | | | | | | This function can now be used in parameter | | | lists. | | | | | 5.3.0 | | | | | | | If this function is called from the outermost | | | scope of a file which has been included by call- | | | ing include(3) or require(3) from within a func- | | | tion in the calling file, it now generates a | | | warning and returns FALSE. | | | | +--------+---------------------------------------------------+ ERRORS
/EXCEPTIONS Generates a warning if called from outside of a user-defined function, or if $arg_num is greater than the number of arguments actually passed. EXAMPLES
Example #1 func_get_arg(3) example <?php function foo() { $numargs = func_num_args(); echo "Number of arguments: $numargs "; if ($numargs >= 2) { echo "Second argument is: " . func_get_arg(1) . " "; } } foo(1, 2, 3); ?> The above example will output: Number of arguments: 3 Second argument is: 2 Example #2 func_get_arg(3) example before and after PHP 5.3 test.php <?php function foo() { include './fga.inc'; } foo('First arg', 'Second arg'); ?> fga.inc <?php $arg = func_get_arg(1); var_export($arg); ?> Output previous to PHP 5.3: Output in PHP 5.3 and later: Warning: func_get_arg(): Called from the global scope - no function context in /home/torben/Desktop/code/ml/fga.inc on line 3 false Example #3 func_get_arg(3) example of byref and byval arguments <?php function byVal($arg) { echo 'As passed : ', var_export(func_get_arg(0)), PHP_EOL; $arg = 'baz'; echo 'After change : ', var_export(func_get_arg(0)), PHP_EOL; } function byRef(&$arg) { echo 'As passed : ', var_export(func_get_arg(0)), PHP_EOL; $arg = 'baz'; echo 'After change : ', var_export(func_get_arg(0)), PHP_EOL; } $arg = 'bar'; byVal($arg); byRef($arg); ?> The above example will output: After change : 'bar' As passed : 'bar' After change : 'baz' NOTES
Note Because this function depends on the current scope to determine parameter details, it cannot be used as a function parameter in ver- sions prior to 5.3.0. If this value must be passed, the results should be assigned to a variable, and that variable should be passed. Note If the arguments are passed by reference, any changes to the arguments will be reflected in the values returned by this function. Note This function returns a copy of the passed arguments only, and does not account for default (non-passed) arguments. SEE ALSO
... syntax in PHP 5.6+, func_get_args(3), func_num_args(3). PHP Documentation Group FUNC_GET_ARG(3)