PHP Serialize for Python

1.3 · maintenance · verified Tue Apr 14

phpserialize is a Python library that ports the `serialize` and `unserialize` functions of PHP, allowing Python applications to encode and decode data in PHP's native serialization format. It implements the standard Python serialization interface, providing `dumps` and `loads` functions. The current version is 1.3, with the last update in 2012, making it in a maintenance phase rather than actively developed, though it officially supports Python 3.

Warnings

gotcha In Python 3, `loads` (unserialize) expects byte strings as input. All string-like values (keys, string contents) in the deserialized output will also be byte strings by default. You must explicitly decode them or use the `decode_strings=True` parameter during `loads`.
Fix: Ensure input to `loads` is `bytes`. For output, either manually decode `bytes` results (e.g., `value.decode('utf-8')`) or pass `decode_strings=True` to `loads` to get Python unicode strings directly.
gotcha PHP's serialization format has specific ways of handling objects and arrays. When deserializing PHP objects into Python, a custom `object_hook` is often required to map PHP class names to Python classes or dictionaries. Similarly, Python lists and tuples are not distinct PHP types and are typically serialized as PHP associative arrays.
Fix: For PHP objects, use the `object_hook` parameter with `loads`. For simple cases, `phpserialize.phpobject` can convert PHP objects to Python dictionaries. For complex type mapping, implement a custom `object_hook` function. Be aware that Python lists/tuples will be represented as PHP arrays, which are dictionaries in Python.
deprecated The original `phpserialize` library has not seen active development since version 1.3 in 2012. While it states Python 3 support, newer Python versions might encounter subtle compatibility issues not addressed by new releases. A community fork, `phpserialize3`, exists specifically for Python 3, which might offer more up-to-date compatibility, although it also appears to be infrequently updated.
Fix: Test thoroughly on your target Python version. Consider inspecting the `phpserialize3` fork if facing issues, or evaluate alternative, more actively maintained serialization libraries if strict PHP serialization compatibility is not paramount.

Install

pip install phpserialize Install stable version

Imports

dumps
```
from phpserialize import dumps
```
loads
```
from phpserialize import loads
```
phpobject
```
from phpserialize import phpobject
```
Used as an `object_hook` for simple PHP object deserialization.

Quickstart

Demonstrates basic serialization and deserialization of strings and PHP arrays. It highlights the necessity of providing byte strings for input to `loads` in Python 3 and handling byte strings for output, or using `decode_strings=True` for automatic string decoding. Also includes an example of deserializing a simple PHP object using `phpobject` as an `object_hook`.

from phpserialize import dumps, loads

# Basic serialization of a string
python_string = 'Hello World'
php_serialized_string = dumps(python_string)
print(f"Serialized string: {php_serialized_string}")
assert loads(php_serialized_string) == b'Hello World'

# Deserialization of a simple PHP array string (as bytes for Python 3)
php_array_data = b'a:1:{s:3:"key";s:5:"value";}'
python_dict = loads(php_array_data)
print(f"Deserialized array: {python_dict}")
# Note: Keys and string values are bytes in Python 3, require decoding
assert python_dict[b'key'] == b'value'

# Deserialization with string decoding
python_dict_decoded = loads(php_array_data, decode_strings=True)
print(f"Deserialized array (decoded): {python_dict_decoded}")
assert python_dict_decoded['key'] == 'value'

# Object serialization example (requires special handling)
# Using a simple PHP object string from a stdClass
php_object_data = b'O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:3:"baz";s:3:"qux";}'
from phpserialize import phpobject
python_obj = loads(php_object_data, object_hook=phpobject, decode_strings=True)
print(f"Deserialized object: {python_obj}")
assert python_obj['baz'] == 'qux'

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