php man page for parse_str

PARSE_STR(3)								 1							      PARSE_STR(3)

parse_str - Parses the string into variables

SYNOPSIS
       void parse_str (string  $str, [array  &$arr])

DESCRIPTION
	Parses $str as if it were the query string passed via a URL and sets variables in the current scope.

       Note

	       To get the current QUERY_STRING, you may use the variable $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']. Also, you may want to read the section on vari-
	      ables from external sources.

       Note

	       The magic_quotes_gpc setting affects the output of this function, as parse_str(3) uses the same mechanism that PHP uses to populate
	      the $_GET, $_POST, etc. variables.

PARAMETERS
	      o $str
		- The input string.

	      o $arr
		- If the second parameter $arr is present, variables are stored in this variable as array elements instead.

RETURN VALUES
	No value is returned.

EXAMPLES
       Example #1

	      Using parse_str(3)

	      <?php
	      $str = "first=value&arr[]=foo+bar&arr[]=baz";
	      parse_str($str);
	      echo $first;  // value
	      echo $arr[0]; // foo bar
	      echo $arr[1]; // baz

	      parse_str($str, $output);
	      echo $output['first'];  // value
	      echo $output['arr'][0]; // foo bar
	      echo $output['arr'][1]; // baz

	      ?>

SEE ALSO
       parse_url(3), pathinfo(3), http_build_query(3), get_magic_quotes_gpc(3), urldecode(3).

PHP Documentation Group 													      PARSE_STR(3)