Convert PostgreSQL array to PHP array

Question

I have trouble reading Postgresql arrays in PHP. I have tried explode(), but this breaks arrays containing commas in strings, and str_getcsv() but it's also no good as PostgreSQL doesn't quote the Japanese strings.

Not working:

explode(',', trim($pgArray['key'], '{}'));
str_getcsv( trim($pgArray['key'], '{}') );

Example:

// print_r() on PostgreSQL returned data: Array ( [strings] => {または, "some string without a comma", "a string, with a comma"} )

// Output: Array ( [0] => または [1] => "some string without a comma" [2] => "a string [3] => with a comma" ) 
explode(',', trim($pgArray['strings'], '{}'));

// Output: Array ( [0] => [1] => some string without a comma [2] => a string, with a comma ) 
print_r(str_getcsv( trim($pgArray['strings'], '{}') ));

Answer 1

I can see you are using explode(',', trim($pgArray, '{}'));

But explode is used to Split a string by string (and you are supplying it an array!!). something like ..

$string = "A string, with, commas";
$arr = explode(',', $string);

What are you trying to do with array? if you want to concatenate have a look on implode

OR not sure if it is possible for you to specify the delimiter other than a comma? array_to_string(anyarray, text)

Answer 2

So far the following function, taken from the PHP website at http://php.net/manual/en/ref.pgsql.php, has been successful:

<?php
function pg_array_parse( $text, &$output, $limit = false, $offset = 1 )
{
  if( false === $limit )
  {
    $limit = strlen( $text )-1;
    $output = array();
  }
  if( '{}' != $text )
    do
    {
      if( '{' != $text{$offset} )
      {
        preg_match( "/(\\{?\"([^\"\\\\]|\\\\.)*\"|[^,{}]+)+([,}]+)/", $text, $match, 0, $offset );
        $offset += strlen( $match[0] );
        $output[] = ( '"' != $match[1]{0} ? $match[1] : stripcslashes( substr( $match[1], 1, -1 ) ) );
        if( '},' == $match[3] ) return $offset;
      }
      else  $offset = pg_array_parse( $text, $output[], $limit, $offset+1 );
    }
    while( $limit > $offset );
  return $output;
}
?>