parse_str array return only last value - php

Question

I am using ajax to submit the form and ajax value post as:
newcoach=6&newcoach=11&newcoach=12&newcoach=13&newcoach=14
In PHP I am using parse_str to convert string to array,but it return only last value:
$newcoach = "newcoach=6&newcoach=11&newcoach=12&newcoach=13&newcoach=14";
$searcharray = array();
parse_str($newcoach, $searcharray);
print_r($searcharray);
Result array having only last value:
Array
(
[newcoach] => 14
)
Any help will be appreciated...

Answer 1

Since you set your argument newcoach multiple times, parse_str will only return the last one. If you want parse_str to parse your variable as an array you need to supply it in this format with a '[ ]' suffix:
$newcoach = "newcoach[]=6&newcoach[]=11&newcoach[]=12&newcoach[]=13&newcoach[]=14";
Example:
<?php
$newcoach = "newcoach[]=6&newcoach[]=11&newcoach[]h=12&newcoach[]=13&newcoach[]=14";
$searcharray = array();
parse_str($newcoach, $searcharray);
print_r($searcharray);
?>
Outputs:
Array ( [newcoach] => Array ( [0] => 6 [1] => 11 [2] => 12 [3] => 13 [4] => 14 ) )

Answer 2

Currently it is assigning the last value as all parameter have same name.
You can use [] after variable name , it will create newcoach array with all values within it.
$test = "newcoach[]=6&newcoach[]=11&newcoach[]=12&newcoach[]=13&newcoach[]=14";
echo '<pre>';
parse_str($test,$result);
print_r($result);
O/p:
Array
(
[newcoach] => Array
(
[0] => 6
[1] => 11
[2] => 12
[3] => 13
[4] => 14
)
)

Answer 3

Use this function
function proper_parse_str($str) {
# result array
$arr = array();
# split on outer delimiter
$pairs = explode('&', $str);
# loop through each pair
foreach ($pairs as $i) {
# split into name and value
list($name,$value) = explode('=', $i, 2);
# if name already exists
if( isset($arr[$name]) ) {
# stick multiple values into an array
if( is_array($arr[$name]) ) {
$arr[$name][] = $value;
}
else {
$arr[$name] = array($arr[$name], $value);
}
}
# otherwise, simply stick it in a scalar
else {
$arr[$name] = $value;
}
}
# return result array
return $arr;
}
$parsed_array = proper_parse_str($newcoach);