Serializer

Serialization is the process of converting a PHP variable — such as an array or object — into a string representation that can be stored, transmitted, or reconstructed later.

Native

This format is compact and efficient, but is only suitable for internal use — it cannot be reliably parsed outside PHP.

<?php

use Krystal\Serializer\NativeSerializer;

$serializer = new NativeSerializer();

$data = ['user' => 'Alice', 'roles' => ['admin', 'editor']];

// Serialize
$encoded = $serializer->serialize($data);
echo $encoded;
// Example output: a:2:{s:4:"user";s:5:"Alice";s:5:"roles";a:2:{i:0;s:5:"admin";i:1;s:6:"editor";}}

// Check if a string is serialized
var_dump($serializer->isSerialized($encoded)); // true

// Unserialize
$decoded = $serializer->unserialize($encoded);
print_r($decoded);
// ['user' => 'Alice', 'roles' => ['admin', 'editor']]

Notes

• The output is not human-readable and PHP-specific.
• Avoid exposing it in APIs or storing it in shared databases.
• Supports any PHP value, including closures and objects.

JSON

It produces human-readable and language-agnostic strings suitable for configuration files, APIs, or logs.

<?php

use Krystal\Serializer\JsonSerializer;

$serializer = new JsonSerializer();

// Sample data
$data = ['user' => 'Alice', 'roles' => ['admin', 'editor']];

// Serialize to JSON
$encoded = $serializer->serialize($data);
echo $encoded;
/*
This will output:
{
    "user": "Alice",
    "roles": [
        "admin",
        "editor"
    ]
}
*/

// Validate JSON
var_dump($serializer->isSerialized($encoded)); // true

// Unserialize (decode)
$decoded = $serializer->unserialize($encoded);
print_r($decoded);
// ['user' => 'Alice', 'roles' => ['admin', 'editor']]

Notes

• Converts objects to associative arrays by default.
• UTF-8 safe and readable across systems.
• Ideal for API payloads, file-based storage, or interoperability.