Alternative to fputcsv - php

Question

I have an array that I want to export to a CSV file, now I know that there is a fputcsv function but I am using version 5.0.4 of PHP so this isn't an option for me.
Is there an alternative method I can use?

Answer 1

You can use a polyfill for this. write your code as if you where on a system that supports fputcsv From comments within the php block (with some slight framing code) but include this
(copied and slightly modified from http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.fputcsv.php#56827)
<?php
if (!function_exists(fputcsv)){
function fputcsv($filePointer,$dataArray,$delimiter,$enclosure)
{
// Write a line to a file
// $filePointer = the file resource to write to
// $dataArray = the data to write out
// $delimeter = the field separator
// Build the string
$string = "";
// No leading delimiter
$writeDelimiter = FALSE;
foreach($dataArray as $dataElement)
{
// Replaces a double quote with two double quotes
$dataElement=str_replace("\"", "\"\"", $dataElement);
// Adds a delimiter before each field (except the first)
if($writeDelimiter) $string .= $delimiter;
// Encloses each field with $enclosure and adds it to the string
$string .= $enclosure . $dataElement . $enclosure;
// Delimiters are used every time except the first.
$writeDelimiter = TRUE;
} // end foreach($dataArray as $dataElement)
// Append new line
$string .= "\n";
// Write the string to the file
fwrite($filePointer,$string);
}
}
?>

Answer 2

Assuming you have a $Data array, which contains individual arrays for each registry (or line), you may try this:
$Delimiter = '"';
$Separator = ','
foreach($Data as $Line)
{
fwrite($File, $Delimiter.
implode($Delimiter.$Separator.$Delimiter, $Line).$Delimiter."\n");
}
Where $File is the handle for your file. Put in $Delimiter, the character you want to put around each field, and in $Separator, the character to use between fields.

Answer 3

I took the solution from #Orangepill and refactored / simplified it in a couple of ways. This may also become handy if you want every field to be enclosed which is not the case in the default php implementation.
function fputcsv_custom($handle, $fields, $delimiter = ",", $enclosure = '"', $escape_char = "\\") {
$field_arr = [];
foreach($fields as $field) {
$field_arr[] = $enclosure . str_replace($enclosure, $escape_char . $enclosure, $field) . $enclosure;
}
fwrite($handle, implode($delimiter, $field_arr) . "\n");
}