"encapsulate" a whole part in a html query? - php

Question

It might sound odd, but I want to send "hierarchical" html-query's == queries that contain queries and sub-queries (to a PHP based system).
The idea is that the first parse_str() will just convert the "outer part" into an array leaving all the "inner party untouched (unlike it is done with %26 that is converted to "&" anywhere).
So, what I search for is kind of a "escape begin / escape end" type of char(s) that make the HTML parser to leave all inside the escape untouched.
Therefor, the "first" parse would deliver an array of queries (and values, if these are not "escaped").
Basically I my ideal query would look like this - where "{" and "}" are the escape begin/end chars:
"key1=abc&query[]={this_is_a_query}&query[]={and_yet_another}"
where {this_is_a_query} would be: "k1=abc&k2=100" and {and_yet_another} would be "k1=xyz&k2=200".
So, fully written:
"key1=abc&query[]={k1=abc&k2=100}&query[]={k1=xyz&k2=200}"
As a result, i would like to get an assoc array that holds "parsable" values that are queries themselfs:
key1=>abc
query[0] => "k1=abc&k2=100"
query[1] => "k1=xyz&k2=200"
I know that I can do that with "%26", but that only works in the "first hierarchy", but not for "queries/in-queries/in-queries" (and so forth)
What I want to achieve is kind of a "batch query" that allows for running multiple programs with one single call.
I hope my description above is understandable?
Sorry, it looks like I did not well express mself. To clearify, I wtry to mak another example, think about parse_str() would have "{}" as chars enclosing what it should not touch:
received string:
step[]={scene[]={dim=10&item=kitchenlamp}&scene[]={item=sprinkler&state=on}}&step[]=delay=20&step[]={scene[]={item=sprinkler&state=off}}
first parse_str would return:
step[0]=>scene[]={dim=10&item=kitchenlamp}&scene[]={item=sprinkler&state=on}
step[1]=>delay=20
step[2]=>scene[]={item=sprinkler&state=off}
My function would now iterate the steps 0..1..2 and hand over the values to the next function that also uses parse_str to aquire it's parameters and so forth.
The sub-function of step 1 would itself get an array and loop it ... apssing the parameters to the "scene" function that itself would dismantle the parameters of what to be done
step 2 would be a direct execution ... wait 10 seconds
step 3 would again get an array of scenes that it would hand over to the scene function.
I hope it's more clear now, what my direction goes to.
Especially that there are same "keys" for some different parts of the "action chain string".
Why I want it this way is the fact that 1.) the sending device has no similar function like http_build_query 2.) the parameters shall be entered by users (not programmers) in an INI-like file.

Answer 1

One way of doing it would be to urlencode the whole "part":
$part="key1=abc&query[]={k1=abc&k2=100}&query[]={k1=xyz&k2=200}";
$href="https://somepage.com?part=".urlencode($part);
// this will result in
// https://somepage.com?part=key1%3Dabc%26query%5B%5D%3D%7Bk1%3Dabc%26k2%3D100%7D%26query%5B%5D%3D%7Bk1%3Dxyz%26k2%3D200%7D
see a little demo here: https://rextester.com/NLBOA61240
Alternatively you could also json_encode() it:
$part=["key1"=>"abc","query"=>[["k1"=>"abc","k2"=>100],["k1"=>"xyz","k2"=>200]]];
$href="https://somepage.com?part=".urlencode(json_encode($part));
On the receiving end you can then easily json_decode() the string you get in $part.
see here: https://rextester.com/UZGV97528