Turn string into multi dimensional array with keys and values

Question

I am coding a PHP function, and I would like to ask a question. I have a problem with exploding a string in a particular way. I have tried to explain as well as I can down below.

What is this?

Well.. I am working on a solution to decrease the number of tables on my website. I can turn the table for admin rights into one field in the user table. However, I will then need to explode the text field into an array when loading the website. The code is looking like:

<?php
$string = "server1=(ban=(perm=false,normal=true),edit=true,delete=false),adminlog=true,server2=(ban=(perm=false,normal=true),edit=false,delete=true)";

function parseRights( $s="" ){
 $context = array();

 // code here
}

print_r(parseRights($string));
?>

Basically, I would want the result to be:

Array
(
    [server1] => Array
        (
            [ban] => Array
                (
                    [perm] => false
                    [normal] => true
                )

            [edit] => true
            [delete] => false
        )

    [adminlog] => true
    [server2] => Array
        (
            [ban] => Array
                (
                    [perm] => false
                    [normal] => false
                )

            [edit] => false
            [delete] => true
        )

)

True and false should be PHP true and false. If written out like that, I know it will show 1 where true are, and nothing where 0 are.. but it's just to show you what I would like the array to look like after run through the function. I would like it to be able to create an "infinite" array, with each new parentheses creating a new array. Of cource I would gladly accept other ways to distinguish the correct rights if the function would work in the same manner.

Why are you starting with a string like that in the first place? You could just start with the array, or JSON. — AbraCadaver
– AbraCadaver, Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 21:25
It is going to connect to the database and get the string from the user table... this is only due to testing purposes.. I have not yet connected to the database. All I want to check if it is doable to explode it into a multi dimensional array. I would like to do that inside a function to use that function where I want on the website. — Teskon
– Teskon, Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 21:28
Doable but why it's way to complex. Either store this in a relational structure in the DB or at wors't store a serialized array in the DB, then one line transforms it back into an array. — AbraCadaver
– AbraCadaver, Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 21:29

AbraCadaver · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-01 21:53:41Z

Just to help you along a little. Better would be to have related tables that store each functional piece, such as a ban table and permission table both related to the servers table or something similar. If you're not going to store this properly in the database, at least save some trouble:

$array = array('server1'=>array('ban'=>array('perm'=>false,'normal'=>true),'edit'=>true,'delete'=>false));

$string = json_encode($array);
echo $string;
/*
{"server1":{"ban":{"perm":false,"normal":true},"edit":true,"delete":false}}
*/
$new_array = json_decode($string, true);
var_export($new_array);
/*
array
 (
  'server1' =>
  array (
    'ban' =>
    array (
      'perm' => false,
      'normal' => true,
    ),
    'edit' => true,
    'delete' => false,
  ),
)
*/

See how the JSON string looks eerily similar to your string? You could also use serialize() but JSON is standardized and portable.

Also, var_dump() and var_export() will show that true and false are actually stored, print_r() just doesn't display the proper type.

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