w3resource

PHP: serialize() function

Description

The serialize() converts a storable representation of a value.

A serialize data means a sequence of bits so that it can be stored in a file, a memory buffer, or transmitted across a network connection link.

Version:

(PHP 4 and above)

Syntax:

serialize(value1)

Parameter:

Name Description Required /
Optional		 Type
value1 The value to be serialized Required Mixed*

*Mixed: Mixed indicates that a parameter may accept multiple (but not necessarily all) types.

Return value:

A string.

Value Type: String.

Example:

<?php
$serialized_data = serialize(array('Math', 'Language', 'Science'));
echo  $serialized_data . '<br>';
?>

Output:

a:3:{i:0;s:4:"Math";i:1;s:8:"Language";i:2;s:7:"Science";}

View the example in the browser

Practice here online :

See also

PHP Function Reference

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Next: settype



PHP: Tips of the Day

Why shouldn't I use mysql_* functions in PHP?

The MySQL extension:

  • Is not under active development
  • Is officially deprecated as of PHP 5.5 (released June 2013).
  • Has been removed entirely as of PHP 7.0 (released December 2015)
  • This means that as of 31 Dec 2018 it does not exist in any supported version of PHP. If you are using a version of PHP which supports it, you are using a version which doesn't get security problems fixed.
  • Lacks an OO interface
  • Doesn't support:
    • Non-blocking, asynchronous queries
    • Prepared statements or parameterized queries
    • Stored procedures
    • Multiple Statements
    • Transactions
    • The "new" password authentication method (on by default in MySQL 5.6; required in 5.7)
    • Any of the new functionality in MySQL 5.1 or later

Since it is deprecated, using it makes your code less future proof.

Lack of support for prepared statements is particularly important as they provide a clearer, less error-prone method of escaping and quoting external data than manually escaping it with a separate function call.

Ref : https://bit.ly/2BIIsF0