maybe_serialize( string|array|object $data ): mixed

Serializes data, if needed.

Parameters

$datastring|array|objectrequired
Data that might be serialized.

Return

mixed A scalar data.

More Information

  • Data might need to be serialized to allow it to be successfully stored and retrieved from a database in a form that PHP can understand.
  • Confusingly, strings that contain already serialized values are serialized again, resulting in a nested serialization. Other strings are unmodified.
  • A possible solution to prevent nested serialization is to check if a variable is serialized using is_serialized()
if( !is_serialized( $data ) ) {
$data = maybe_serialize($data);
}

Source

function maybe_serialize( $data ) {
	if ( is_array( $data ) || is_object( $data ) ) {
		return serialize( $data );
	}

	/*
	 * Double serialization is required for backward compatibility.
	 * See https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/12930
	 * Also the world will end. See WP 3.6.1.
	 */
	if ( is_serialized( $data, false ) ) {
		return serialize( $data );
	}

	return $data;
}

Changelog

VersionDescription
2.0.5Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 2 content

    Basic Examples

    <?php
    
    // Strings are returned untouched.
    $data = 'Hello World!';
    echo maybe_serialize( $data );
    // Hello World!
    
    // Integers, floats and boolean values are also returned untouched.
    $data = 55;
    echo maybe_serialize( $data );
    // 55
    
    $data = 4.560
    echo maybe_serialize( $data );
    // 4.560
    
    $data = true;
    $data = maybe_serialize( $data );
    // $data = true;
    
    $data = null;
    $data = maybe_serialize( $data );
    // $data = null
    
    // An array or object will be returned as a serialized string.
    $data = array( 1 => 'Hello World!', 'foo' => 'bar' );
    echo maybe_serialize( $data );
    // a:2:{i:1;s:12:"Hello World!";s:3:"foo";s:3:"bar";}
    
    // A serialized string will be serialized again.
    $data = 'a:2:{i:1;s:12:"Hello World!";s:3:"foo";s:3:"bar";}';
    echo maybe_serialize( $data );
    // s:50:"a:2:{i:1;s:12:"Hello World!";s:3:"foo";s:3:"bar";}";
    
    ?>

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