PHP Manual: Parse a configuration file

Description

array parse_ini_file ( string $filename [, bool $process_sections = false [, int $scanner_mode = INI_SCANNER_NORMAL ]] )

parse_ini_file loads in the ini file specified in filename, and returns the settings in it in an associative array.

The structure of the ini file is the same as the php.ini's.

Parameters

filename: The filename of the ini file being parsed.
process_sections: By setting the process_sections parameter to TRUE, you get a multidimensional array, with the section names and settings included. The default for process_sections is FALSE
scanner_mode: Can either be INI_SCANNER_NORMAL (default) or INI_SCANNER_RAW. If INI_SCANNER_RAW is supplied, then option values will not be parsed.

Return Values

The settings are returned as an associative array on success, and FALSE on failure.

Changelog

Version	Description
5.3.0	Added optional `scanner_mode` parameter. Single quotes may now be used around variable assignments. Hash marks (#) may no longer be used as comments and will throw a deprecation warning if used.
5.2.7	On syntax error this function will return `FALSE` rather than an empty array.
5.2.4	Keys and section names consisting of numbers are now evaluated as PHP integers thus numbers starting by 0 are evaluated as octals and numbers starting by 0x are evaluated as hexadecimals.
5.0.0	Values enclosed in double quotes can contain new lines.
4.2.1	This function is now affected by safe mode and open_basedir.

Examples

Example #1 Contents of sample.ini

; 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"

Example #2 parse_ini_file example

Constants may also be parsed in the ini file so if you define a constant as an ini value before running parse_ini_file, it will be integrated into the results. Only ini values are evaluated. For example:


<?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);

?>

The above example will output something similar to:

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
        )

)
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
                )

        )

)

Example #3 parse_ini_file parsing a php.ini file


<?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;
?>

The above example will output something similar to:

(parsed) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes
(loaded) magic_quotes_gpc = Yes

Notes

Note:
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.

Note:
If a value in the ini file contains any non-alphanumeric characters it needs to be enclosed in double-quotes (").

Note: There are reserved words which must not be used as keys for ini files. These include: null, yes, no, true, false, on, off, none. Values null, no and false results in "", yes and true results in "1". Characters ?{}|&~![()^" must not be used anywhere in the key and have a special meaning in the value.

parse_ini_file