# Introduction

Zend_Serializer provides an adapter based interface to simply generate storable representation of PHP types by different facilities, and recover.

Using Zend_Serializer dynamic interface

To instantiate a serializer you should use the factory method with the name of the adapter:

    $serializer = Zend_Serializer::factory('PhpSerialize');
    // Now $serializer is an instance of Zend_Serializer_Adapter_AdapterInterface,
    // specifically Zend_Serializer_Adapter_PhpSerialize

    try {
        $serialized = $serializer->serialize($data);
        // now $serialized is a string

        $unserialized = $serializer->unserialize($serialized);
        // now $data == $unserialized
    } catch (Zend_Serializer_Exception $e) {
        echo $e;
    }

The method serialize() generates a storable string. To regenerate this serialized data you can simply call the method unserialize().

Any time an error is encountered serializing or unserializing, Zend_Serializer will throw a Zend_Serializer_Exception.

To configure a given serializer adapter, you can optionally add an array or an instance of Zend_Config to the factory() or to the serialize() and unserialize() methods:

    $serializer = Zend_Serializer::factory('Wddx', array(
        'comment' => 'serialized by Zend_Serializer',
    ));

    try {
        $serialized = $serializer->serialize(
            $data,
            array('comment' => 'change comment')
        );

        $unserialized = $serializer->unserialize(
            $serialized,
            array(/* options for unserialize */)
        );
    } catch (Zend_Serializer_Exception $e) {
        echo $e;
    }

Options passed to the factory() are valid for the instantiated object. You can change these options using the setOption(s) method. To change one or more options only for a single call, pass them as the second argument to either the serialize() or unserialize() method.

Using the Zend_Serializer static interface

You can register a specific serializer adapter as a default serialization adapter for use with Zend_Serializer. By default, the PhpSerialize adapter will be registered, but you can change this option using the setDefaultAdapter() static method.

    Zend_Serializer::setDefaultAdapter('PhpSerialize', $options);
    // or
    $serializer = Zend_Serializer::factory('PhpSerialize', $options);
    Zend_Serializer::setDefaultAdapter($serializer);

    try {
        $serialized   = Zend_Serializer::serialize($data, $options);
        $unserialized = Zend_Serializer::unserialize($serialized, $options);
    } catch (Zend_Serializer_Exception $e) {
        echo $e;
    }