filter_input_array

(PHP 5 >= 5.2.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

filter_input_array — Gets external variables and optionally filters them

Description

filter_input_array(int $type, array|int $options = FILTER_DEFAULT, bool $add_empty = true): array|false|null

This function is useful for retrieving many values without repetitively calling filter_input().

Parameters

type

One of INPUT_GET, INPUT_POST, INPUT_COOKIE, INPUT_SERVER, or INPUT_ENV.

options

An array defining the arguments. A valid key is a string containing a variable name and a valid value is either a filter type, or an array optionally specifying the filter, flags and options. If the value is an array, valid keys are filter which specifies the filter type, flags which specifies any flags that apply to the filter, and options which specifies any options that apply to the filter. See the example below for a better understanding.

This parameter can be also an integer holding a filter constant. Then all values in the input array are filtered by this filter.

add_empty

Add missing keys as null to the return value.

Return Values

An array containing the values of the requested variables on success. If the input array designated by type is not populated, the function returns null if the FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE flag is not given, or false otherwise. For other failures, false is returned.

An array value will be false if the filter fails, or null if the variable is not set. Or if the flag FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE is used, it returns false if the variable is not set and null if the filter fails. If the add_empty parameter is false, no array element will be added for unset variables.

Examples

Example #1 A filter_input_array() example

<?php

/* data actually came from POST
$_POST = array(
    'product_id' => 'libgd<script>',
    'component'  => array('10'),
    'version'    => '2.0.33',
    'testarray'  => array('2', '23', '10', '12'),
    'testscalar' => '2',
);
*/

$args = array(
    'product_id'   => FILTER_SANITIZE_ENCODED,
    'component'    => array('filter'    => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
                            'flags'     => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY, 
                            'options'   => array('min_range' => 1, 'max_range' => 10)
                           ),
    'version'      => FILTER_SANITIZE_ENCODED,
    'doesnotexist' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
    'testscalar'   => array(
                            'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
                            'flags'  => FILTER_REQUIRE_SCALAR,
                           ),
    'testarray'    => array(
                            'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
                            'flags'  => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY,
                           )

);

$myinputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);

var_dump($myinputs);
echo "\n";
?>

The above example will output:

array(6) {
  ["product_id"]=>
  string(17) "libgd%3Cscript%3E"
  ["component"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    int(10)
  }
  ["version"]=>
  string(6) "2.0.33"
  ["doesnotexist"]=>
  NULL
  ["testscalar"]=>
  int(2)
  ["testarray"]=>
  array(4) {
    [0]=>
    int(2)
    [1]=>
    int(23)
    [2]=>
    int(10)
    [3]=>
    int(12)
  }
}

Notes

Note:
There is no REQUEST_TIME key in INPUT_SERVER array because it is inserted into the $_SERVER later.

User Contributed Notes 9 notes

down

sdupuis at blax dot ca ¶

10 years ago


Note that although you can provide a default filter for the entire input array there is no way to provide a flag for that filter without building the entire definition array yourself.

So here is a small function that can alleviate this hassle!

<?php
function filter_input_array_with_default_flags($type, $filter, $flags, $add_empty = true) {
    $loopThrough = array();
    switch ($type) {
        case INPUT_GET : $loopThrough = $_GET; break;
        case INPUT_POST : $loopThrough = $_POST; break;
        case INPUT_COOKIE : $loopThrough = $_COOKIE; break;
        case INPUT_SERVER : $loopThrough = $_SERVER; break;
        case INPUT_ENV : $loopThrough = $_ENV; break;
    }
   
    $args = array();
    foreach ($loopThrough as $key=>$value) {
        $args[$key] = array('filter'=>$filter, 'flags'=>$flags);
    }
    
    return filter_input_array($type, $args, $add_empty);
}
?>

down

CertaiN ¶

10 years ago


[New Version]
This function is very useful for filtering complicated array structure.
Also, Some integer bitmasks and invalid UTF-8 sequence detection are available.

Code:
<?php
/**
 * @param  integer $type    Constant like INPUT_XXX.
 * @param  array   $default Default structure of the specified super global var.
 *                          Following bitmasks are available:
 *  + FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY - Force 1 dimensional array.
 *  + FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM        - Trim by ASCII control chars.
 *  + FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM   - Trim by ASCII control chars,
 *                                full-width and no-break space.
 * @return array            The value of the filtered super global var.
 */
define('FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY', 1);
define('FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM', 2);
define('FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM', 4);
function filter_struct_utf8($type, array $default) {
    static $func = __FUNCTION__;
    static $trim = "[\\x0-\x20\x7f]";
    static $ftrim = "[\\x0-\x20\x7f\xc2\xa0\xe3\x80\x80]";
    static $recursive_static = false;
    if (!$recursive = $recursive_static) {
        $types = array(
            INPUT_GET => $_GET,
            INPUT_POST => $_POST,
            INPUT_COOKIE => $_COOKIE,
            INPUT_REQUEST => $_REQUEST,
        );
        if (!isset($types[(int)$type])) {
            throw new LogicException('unknown super global var type');
        }
        $var = $types[(int)$type];
        $recursive_static = true;
    } else {
        $var = $type;
    }
    $ret = array();
    foreach ($default as $key => $value) {
        if ($is_int = is_int($value)) {
            if (!($value | (
                FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY |
                FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM | 
                FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM
            ))) {
                $recursive_static = false;
                throw new LogicException('unknown bitmask');
            }
            if ($value & FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY) {
                $tmp = array();
                if (isset($var[$key])) {
                    foreach ((array)$var[$key] as $k => $v) {
                        if (!preg_match('//u', $k)){
                            continue;
                        }
                        $value &= FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM | FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM;
                        $tmp += array($k => $value ? $value : '');
                    }
                }
                $value = $tmp;
            }
        }
        if ($isset = isset($var[$key]) and is_array($value)) {
            $ret[$key] = $func($var[$key], $value);
        } elseif (!$isset || is_array($var[$key])) {
            $ret[$key] = null;
        } elseif ($is_int && $value & FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM) {
            $ret[$key] = preg_replace("/\A{$ftrim}++|{$ftrim}++\z/u", '', $var[$key]);
        } elseif ($is_int && $value & FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM) {
            $ret[$key] = preg_replace("/\A{$trim}++|{$trim}++\z/u", '', $var[$key]);
        } else {
            $ret[$key] = preg_replace('//u', '', $var[$key]);
        }
        if ($ret[$key] === null) {
            $ret[$key] = $is_int ? '' : $value;
        }
    }
    if (!$recursive) {
        $recursive_static = false;
    }
    return $ret;
}
?>

down

CertaiN ¶

11 years ago


This function is very useful for filtering complicated array structure.

Code:
<?php
function filter_request($var, $default_structure) {

    $ret = array();

    foreach ($default_structure as $key => $value) {
        if (!isset($var[$key])) {
            $ret[$key] = $value;
        } elseif (is_array($value)) {
            $ret[$key] = filter_request($var[$key], $value);
        } elseif (is_array($var[$key])) {
            $ret[$key] = $value;
        } else {
            $ret[$key] = $var[$key];
        }
    }

    return $ret;

}
?>

Sample Usage:
<?php
$_GET['a']['wrong_structure'] = 'foo';
$_GET['b']['c'] = 'CORRECT';
$_GET['b']['d']['wrong_structure'] = 'bar';
$_GET['unneeded_item'] = 'baz';

var_dump(filter_request($_GET, array(
    'a' => 'DEFAULT',
    'b' => array(
        'c' => 'DEFAULT',
        'd' => 'DEFAULT',
    ),
)));
?>

Sample Result:
array(2) {
  ["a"]=>
  string(21) "DEFAULT"
  ["b"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["c"]=>
    string(12) "CORRECT"
    ["d"]=>
    string(21) "DEFAULT"
  }
}

down

Anonymous ¶

14 years ago


Beware: if none of the arguments is set, this function returns NULL, not an array of NULL values.

/* No POST vars set in request
$_POST = array();
*/

$args = array('some_post_var' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT);
$myinputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);
var_dump($myinputs);

Expected Output: array(1) { ["some_post_var"]=> NULL } 

Actual Output: NULL

down

CertaiN ¶

10 years ago


[New Version]

Example Usage:
<?php
$_GET['A']['a'] = '  CORRECT(including some spaces)    ';
$_GET['A']['b'] = '  CORRECT(including some spaces)    ';
$_GET['A']['c'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
$_GET['A']['d']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';

$_GET['B']['a'] = '  CORRECT(including some spaces)    ';
$_GET['B']['b'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
$_GET['B']['c']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';
$_GET['B']["Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3"] = 'INVALID';

$_GET['C']['a'] = '  CORRECT(including some spaces)    ';
$_GET['C']['b'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
$_GET['C']['c']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';
$_GET['C']["Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3"] = 'INVALID';

$_GET['unneeded_item'] = 'UNNEEDED';

var_dump(filter_struct_utf8(INPUT_GET, array(
    'A' => array(
        'a' => '',
        'b' => FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM,
        'c' => '',
        'd' => '',
    ),
    'B' => FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY,
    'C' => FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY | FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM,
)));
?>

Example Result:
array(3) {
  ["A"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(36) "  CORRECT(including some spaces)    "
    ["b"]=>
    string(30) "CORRECT(including some spaces)"
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["d"]=>
    string(0) ""
  }
  ["B"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(36) "  CORRECT(including some spaces)    "
    ["b"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
  }
  ["C"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(30) "CORRECT(including some spaces)"
    ["b"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
  }
}

down

Kevin ¶

16 years ago


Looks like filter_input_array isn't aware of changes to the input arrays that were made before calling filter_input_array. Instead, it always looks at the originally submitted input arrays.

So this will not work:

$_POST['my_float_field'] = str_replace(',','.',$_POST['my_float_field']);
$args = array('my_float_field',FILTER_VALIDATE_FLOAT);
$result = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);

down

ville at N0SPAM dot zydo dot com ¶

14 years ago


While filtering input arrays, be careful of what flags you set besides FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY. For example, setting the flags like so:



<?php

$filter = array(

'myInputArr' => array('filter' => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,

                      'flags' => array('FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_LOW', 'FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY'))

);



$form_inputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $filter);

?>



.. will result in a blank $form_inputs['myInputArr'] regardless of what $_POST['myInputArr'] contains.

down

kibblewhite at live dot com ¶

15 years ago


If you are trying to handling multiple form inputs with same name, then you must assign the `'flags'  => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY` to the definitions entry.

Example, you have a html form as such:
<form>
 <input name="t1[]" value="Some string One" />
 <input name="t1[]" value="Another String Two" />
</form>

Your definitions array will look a little like this:
$args = array(
  't1'    => array(
      'name' => 't1',
      'filter' => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
      'flags'  => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY)
);

down

cornelyu85 at yahoo dot com ¶

1 year ago


Here's an extended function that allows you to keep also the unfiltered items/args from the request, while you also apply validation to some of them:

<?php

$validationRules = [
    'foo' => [
        'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_REGEXP,
        'options' => ['regexp' => '/^(bar|baz)$/i']
    ]
];

$request = filter_input_array_keep_unfiltered_args(INPUT_POST, $validationRules);

var_dump($request);

function filter_input_array_keep_unfiltered_args($type, $filters, $addEmpty = true)
{
    $rawRequest = filter_input_array($type);

    $validationRules = [];
    foreach ($rawRequest as $key => $value) {
        $validationRules[$key] = isset($filters[$key]) ? $filters[$key] : ['filter' => FILTER_DEFAULT];
    }

    return filter_input_array($type, $validationRules, $addEmpty);
}

?>

add a note

filter_input_array

Description

Parameters

Return Values

Examples

Notes

See Also

User Contributed Notes 9 notes