Using PHP array retrieved from REST service - php

Question

Im looking to use a PHP array obtained from a RESTful service.
They array is just a simple array outputted as follows,
array (
0 =>
stdClass::__set_state(array(
'id' => '375',
'primary_name' => 'Beaufort 3',
'price' => '',
'sqft' => '2435',
'bdrm' => '3',
'bthm' => '2.5',
'display_title' => 'Traditional A1',
'full_img_path' => '',
'thumb_path' => '',
'available_in' => 'a:2:{i:0;s:1:"2";i:1;s:1:"5";}',
'display_first' => '',
)),
)
I'm obtaining the data using file_get_contents but of course its no longer an array at this point. What is the best way to convert this back to a usable array?

Answer 1

I have never seen a service that provides this, probably because it is something people would avoid using, but it does look like it could be something they intend for you to be able to use with eval(). I suppose this could be intended as a convenience. I think they have made an error, though. If you use var_export, (which I assume is how this was generated) on an array like this:
$example = array (
array(
'id' => '375',
'primary_name' => 'Beaufort 3',
'price' => '',
'sqft' => '2435',
'bdrm' => '3',
'bthm' => '2.5',
'display_title' => 'Traditional A1',
'full_img_path' => '',
'thumb_path' => '',
'available_in' => 'a:2:{i:0;s:1:"2";i:1;s:1:"5";}',
'display_first' => '',
)
);
then you would get something you could eval into a variable and use in your code. However, if you var_export an array of anonymous objects instead of an array of associative arrays, you will get the type of response you are getting, which I don't know of any way to use. I would guess they are var_exporting the results of a query and they are using FETCH_OBJ instead of FETCH_ASSOC for the fetch style.
EDIT:
I was looking through the comments on var_export after writing this and came across this way of doing it that should work.
$str = str_replace("stdClass::__set_state", "(object)", $str);
eval('$array=' . $str . ';');
But just because something is possible doesn't mean we should do it.

Answer 2

You can convert it back into an array with eval(). http://php.net/manual/en/function.eval.php
eval('$array='.$response.';');
However, this can be dangerous, because eval will take any PHP code given it - if the service is compromised, your code would execute anything passed to it. JSON, if the service supports it, is much safer and natively supported in PHP since 5.2 via json_decode(). http://php.net/manual/en/function.json-decode.php