parse_ini_string

(PHP 5 >= 5.3.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

parse_ini_stringParse a configuration string

Description

parse_ini_string(string $ini_string, bool $process_sections = false, int $scanner_mode = INI_SCANNER_NORMAL): array|false

parse_ini_string() returns the settings in string ini_string in an associative array.

The structure of the ini string is the same as the php.ini's.

Parameters

ini_string

The contents of the ini file being parsed.

process_sections

By setting the process_sections parameter to true, you get a multidimensional array, with the section names and settings included. The default for process_sections is false

scanner_mode

Can either be INI_SCANNER_NORMAL (default) or INI_SCANNER_RAW. If INI_SCANNER_RAW is supplied, then option values will not be parsed.

As of PHP 5.6.1 can also be specified as INI_SCANNER_TYPED. In this mode boolean, null and integer types are preserved when possible. String values "true", "on" and "yes" are converted to true. "false", "off", "no" and "none" are considered false. "null" is converted to null in typed mode. Also, all numeric strings are converted to integer type if it is possible.

Return Values

The settings are returned as an associative array on success, and false on failure.

Notes

Note: There are reserved words which must not be used as keys for ini files. These include: null, yes, no, true, false, on, off, none. Values null, off, no and false result in "", and values on, yes and true result in "1", unless INI_SCANNER_TYPED mode is used. Characters ?{}|&~![()^" must not be used anywhere in the key and have a special meaning in the value.

See Also

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User Contributed Notes 4 notes

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26
epicmaxim at gmail dot com
11 years ago
parse_ini_string_m is analog for a parse_ini_string function.

had to code this function due to the lack of a php 5.3 on some hosting.

parse_ini_string_m:
- ignores commented lines that start with ";" or "#"
- ignores broken lines that do not have "="
- supports array values and array value keys

<?php
function parse_ini_string_m($str) {
   
    if(empty(
$str)) return false;

   
$lines = explode("\n", $str);
   
$ret = Array();
   
$inside_section = false;

    foreach(
$lines as $line) {
       
       
$line = trim($line);

        if(!
$line || $line[0] == "#" || $line[0] == ";") continue;
       
        if(
$line[0] == "[" &amp;&amp; $endIdx = strpos($line, "]")){
           
$inside_section = substr($line, 1, $endIdx-1);
            continue;
        }

        if(!
strpos($line, '=')) continue;

       
$tmp = explode("=", $line, 2);

        if(
$inside_section) {
           
           
$key = rtrim($tmp[0]);
           
$value = ltrim($tmp[1]);

            if(
preg_match("/^\".*\"$/", $value) || preg_match("/^'.*'$/", $value)) {
               
$value = mb_substr($value, 1, mb_strlen($value) - 2);
            }

           
$t = preg_match("^\[(.*?)\]^", $key, $matches);
            if(!empty(
$matches) &amp;&amp; isset($matches[0])) {

               
$arr_name = preg_replace('#\[(.*?)\]#is', '', $key);

                if(!isset(
$ret[$inside_section][$arr_name]) || !is_array($ret[$inside_section][$arr_name])) {
                   
$ret[$inside_section][$arr_name] = array();
                }

                if(isset(
$matches[1]) &amp;&amp; !empty($matches[1])) {
                   
$ret[$inside_section][$arr_name][$matches[1]] = $value;
                } else {
                   
$ret[$inside_section][$arr_name][] = $value;
                }

            } else {
               
$ret[$inside_section][trim($tmp[0])] = $value;
            }           

        } else {
           
           
$ret[trim($tmp[0])] = ltrim($tmp[1]);

        }
    }
    return
$ret;
}
?>

example usage:

<?php
$ini
= '

    [simple]
    val_one = "some value"
    val_two = 567

    [array]
    val_arr[] = "arr_elem_one"
    val_arr[] = "arr_elem_two"
    val_arr[] = "arr_elem_three"

    [array_keys]
    val_arr_two[6] = "key_6"
    val_arr_two[some_key] = "some_key_value"

'
;

$arr = parse_ini_string_m($ini);
?>

variable $arr output:

Array
(
    [simple] => Array
    (
        [val_one] => some value
        [val_two] => 567
    )

    [array] => Array
    (
        [val_arr] => Array
        (
            [0] => arr_elem_one
            [1] => arr_elem_two
            [2] => arr_elem_three
        )
    )

    [array_keys] => Array
    (
        [val_arr_two] => Array
        (
            [6] => key_6
            [some_key] => some_key_value
        )

    )

)
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2
Peter Baylies
11 years ago
Replacement for php_ini_string() for PHP pre 5.3 - uses php_ini_file() and streams

<?php
if ( !function_exists( 'parse_ini_string' ) ) {
    function
parse_ini_string( $string, $process_sections ) {
        if ( !
class_exists( 'parse_ini_filter' ) ) {
           
/* Define our filter class */
           
class parse_ini_filter extends php_user_filter {
                static
$buf = '';
                function
filter( $in, $out, &$consumed, $closing ) {
                   
$bucket = stream_bucket_new( fopen('php://memory', 'wb'), self::$buf );
                   
stream_bucket_append( $out, $bucket );
                    return
PSFS_PASS_ON;
                }
            }
           
/* Register our filter with PHP */
           
stream_filter_register("parse_ini", "parse_ini_filter")
            or return
false;
        }
       
parse_ini_filter::$buf = $string;
        return
parse_ini_file( "php://filter/read=parse_ini/resource=php://memory", $process_sections );
    }
}
?>
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0
Philo
11 months ago
Hi,
Up to PHP 8.3 (at least), it seems that INI_SCANNER_TYPED is ignored when trying to get values from constants.
For example :
<?php
// https://3v4l.org/qK5o8

const OK = true;
const
KO = false;
const
NIL = null;

$ini = <<<'INI'
a = TRUE
b = FALSE
c = null
d = 9223372036854775807
INI;
var_dump(parse_ini_string($ini, false, INI_SCANNER_NORMAL), parse_ini_string($ini, false, INI_SCANNER_TYPED));
$ini = <<<'INI'
a = OK
b = KO
c = NIL
d = PHP_INT_MAX
INI;
var_dump(parse_ini_string($ini, false, INI_SCANNER_NORMAL), parse_ini_string($ini, false, INI_SCANNER_TYPED));
?>

I thought it was worth mentioning.
up
1
msegit post pl
6 years ago
With function parse_ini_stringM() below you can:
- fix unvalued fields ('key' (invalid) ==> 'key=' (OK) )
- fix unquotted values with equal sign '=' ('key=value_part1=value_part2' ==> 'key="value_part1=value_part2"')
- fix (solve) multidimensional arrays (makes 'key[key1][key2]=value' valid)

function parse_ini_stringM() on github https://gist.github.com/msegu/c43a871c5a874a1d9bff978b448a0aa4 (here is too long)

// Example:

$ini = '[a]
b
c=d
e=';

var_export(parse_ini_string($ini, TRUE)); /* array (
  'a' =>
  array (
    'c' => 'd',
    'e' => '',
  ),
)
*/

$ini .= '
f[g][2]=h
f[g][i]=j
f[g][][]=k
m=n=o';

var_export(parse_ini_string($ini, TRUE)); // false

var_export(parse_ini_stringM($ini, TRUE)); /* array (
  'a' =>
  array (
    'b' => '',
    'c' => 'd',
    'e' => '',
    'f' =>
    array (
      'g' =>
      array (
        2 => 'h',
        'i' => 'j',
        3 =>
        array (
          0 => 'k',
        ),
      ),
    ),
    'm' => 'n=o',
  ),
)
*/
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