parse-ini-file.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- $Revision$ -->
<refentry xml:id="function.parse-ini-file" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>parse_ini_file</refname>
  <refpurpose>Parse a configuration file</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type class="union"><type>array</type><type>false</type></type><methodname>parse_ini_file</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>filename</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>bool</type><parameter>process_sections</parameter><initializer>&false;</initializer></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>int</type><parameter>scanner_mode</parameter><initializer><constant>INI_SCANNER_NORMAL</constant></initializer></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   <function>parse_ini_file</function> loads in the
   ini file specified in <parameter>filename</parameter>,
   and returns the settings in it in an associative array.
  </para>
  <para>
   The structure of the ini file is the same as the &php.ini;'s.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>filename</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       The filename of the ini file being parsed. If a relative path is used,
       it is evaluated relative to the current working directory, then the
       <link linkend="ini.include-path">include_path</link>.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>process_sections</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       By setting the <parameter>process_sections</parameter>
       parameter to &true;, you get a multidimensional array, with
       the section names and settings included. The default
       for <parameter>process_sections</parameter> is &false;      
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>scanner_mode</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Can either be <constant>INI_SCANNER_NORMAL</constant> (default) or 
       <constant>INI_SCANNER_RAW</constant>. If <constant>INI_SCANNER_RAW</constant> 
       is supplied, then option values will not be parsed.
      </para>
      &ini.scanner.typed;
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   The settings are returned as an associative <type>array</type> on success,
   and &false; on failure.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title>Contents of <filename>sample.ini</filename></title>
    <programlisting>
<![CDATA[
; This is a sample configuration file
; Comments start with ';', as in php.ini

[first_section]
one = 1
five = 5
animal = BIRD

[second_section]
path = "/usr/local/bin"
URL = "http://www.example.com/~username"

[third_section]
phpversion[] = "5.0"
phpversion[] = "5.1"
phpversion[] = "5.2"
phpversion[] = "5.3"

urls[svn] = "http://svn.php.net"
urls[git] = "http://git.php.net"
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
   <example>
    <title><function>parse_ini_file</function> example</title>
    <para>
     <link linkend="language.constants">Constants</link> (but not "magic constants" like <constant>__FILE__</constant>)
     may also be parsed
     in the ini file so if you define a constant as an ini value before
     running <function>parse_ini_file</function>, it will be integrated into
     the results.  Only ini values are evaluated, and the value must be just the constant.  For example:
    </para>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php

define('BIRD', 'Dodo bird');

// Parse without sections
$ini_array = parse_ini_file("sample.ini");
print_r($ini_array);

// Parse with sections
$ini_array = parse_ini_file("sample.ini", true);
print_r($ini_array);

?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs.similar;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
Array
(
    [one] => 1
    [five] => 5
    [animal] => Dodo bird
    [path] => /usr/local/bin
    [URL] => http://www.example.com/~username
    [phpversion] => Array
        (
            [0] => 5.0
            [1] => 5.1
            [2] => 5.2
            [3] => 5.3
        )

    [urls] => Array
        (
            [svn] => http://svn.php.net
            [git] => http://git.php.net
        )

)
Array
(
    [first_section] => Array
        (
            [one] => 1
            [five] => 5
            [animal] => Dodo bird
        )

    [second_section] => Array
        (
            [path] => /usr/local/bin
            [URL] => http://www.example.com/~username
        )

    [third_section] => Array
        (
            [phpversion] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 5.0
                    [1] => 5.1
                    [2] => 5.2
                    [3] => 5.3
                )

            [urls] => Array
                (
                    [svn] => http://svn.php.net
                    [git] => http://git.php.net
                )

        )

)
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>parse_ini_file</function> parsing a php.ini file</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
// A simple function used for comparing the results below
function yesno($expression)
{
    return($expression ? 'Yes' : 'No');
}

// Get the path to php.ini using the php_ini_loaded_file() 
// function available as of PHP 5.2.4
$ini_path = php_ini_loaded_file();

// Parse php.ini
$ini = parse_ini_file($ini_path);

// Print and compare the values, note that using get_cfg_var()
// will give the same results for parsed and loaded here
echo '(parsed) magic_quotes_gpc = ' . yesno($ini['magic_quotes_gpc']) . PHP_EOL;
echo '(loaded) magic_quotes_gpc = ' . yesno(get_cfg_var('magic_quotes_gpc')) . PHP_EOL;
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs.similar;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
(parsed) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes
(loaded) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
  <para>
   <example>
    <title>value interpolation</title>
    <para>
     In addition to evaluating constants, certain characters have special meaning in an ini value.
     Additionally, environment variables and previously defined values may be read using
     <code>${}</code> syntax.
    </para>
    <programlisting>
<![CDATA[
; | is used for bitwise OR
three = 2|3

; & is used for bitwise AND
four = 6&5

; ^ is used for bitwise XOR
five = 3^6

; ~ is used for bitwise negate
negative_two = ~1

; () is used for grouping
seven = (8|7)&(6|5)

; \ is used to escape a value.
newline_is = "\\n" ; results in the string "\n", not a newline character.
with quotes = "She said \"Exactly my point\"." ; Results in a string with quote marks in it.

path = ${PATH}
also_five = ${five}

]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs.similar;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
(parsed) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes
(loaded) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="notes">
  &reftitle.notes;
  <note>
   <para>
    This function has nothing to do with the
    &php.ini; file. It is already processed by
    the time you run your script. This function can be used to
    read in your own application's configuration files.
   </para>
  </note>
  <note>
   <para>
    If a value in the ini file contains any non-alphanumeric
    characters it needs to be enclosed in double-quotes (").
   </para>
  </note>
  <note>
   <simpara>
    There are reserved words which must not be used as keys for
    ini files.  These include: <literal>null</literal>, <literal>yes</literal>,
    <literal>no</literal>, <literal>true</literal>, <literal>false</literal>,
    <literal>on</literal>, <literal>off</literal>, <literal>none</literal>.
    Values <literal>null</literal>, <literal>off</literal>, <literal>no</literal> and
    <literal>false</literal> result in <literal>""</literal>, and values
    <literal>on</literal>, <literal>yes</literal> and <literal>true</literal> result
    in <literal>"1"</literal>, unless <constant>INI_SCANNER_TYPED</constant> mode is used (as of PHP 5.6.1).
    Characters <literal>?{}|&amp;~!()^"</literal> must not be used anywhere in
    the key and have a special meaning in the value.
   </simpara>
  </note>
  <note>
   <para>
    Entries without an equal sign are ignored. For example, "foo"
    is ignored whereas "bar =" is parsed and added with an empty
    value. For example, MySQL has a "no-auto-rehash" setting 
    in <filename>my.cnf</filename> that does not take a value, so
    it is ignored.
   </para>
  </note>
  <note>
   <para>
    ini files are generally treated as plain text by web servers and thus served to browsers if requested.
    That means for security you must either keep your ini files outside of your docroot or reconfigure your
    web server to not serve them.  Failure to do either of those may introduce a security risk.
   </para>
  </note>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><function>parse_ini_string</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>
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