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<refentry id="function.parse-ini-file">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>parse_ini_file</refname>
  <refpurpose>Parse a configuration file</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type>array</type><methodname>parse_ini_file</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>filename</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>bool</type><parameter>process_sections</parameter></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.
   By setting the last <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>
  <note>
   <para>
    This function has nothing to do with the
    &php.ini; file. It is already processed,
    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>
    Since PHP 4.2.1 this function is also affected by &safemode;
    and <link linkend="ini.open-basedir">open_basedir</link>.
   </simpara>
  </note>
  <note>
   <para>
    As of PHP 5.0.0 this function also handles new lines in values.
   </para>
  </note>
  <note>
   <simpara>
    There are reserved words which must not be used as keys for
    ini files.  These include: null, yes, no, true, and false.
    Values null, no and false results in "", yes and true results in "1".
    Characters <literal>{}|&amp;~![()"</literal> must not be used anywhere in
    the key and have a special meaning in the value.
   </simpara>
  </note>
  <para>
   The structure of the ini file is similar to that of
   the &php.ini;'s.
  </para>
  <para>
   <link linkend="language.constants">Constants</link> 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.  For example:
  </para>
  <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"
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </para>
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>parse_ini_file</function> example</title>
    <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>
    <para>
     Would produce:
    </para>
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
Array
(
    [one] => 1
    [five] => 5
    [animal] => Dodo bird
    [path] => /usr/local/bin
    [URL] => http://www.example.com/~username
)
Array
(
    [first_section] => Array
        (
            [one] => 1
            [five] => 5
            [animal] = Dodo bird
        )

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

)
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
  <para>
   Keys and section names consisting from numbers are evaluated as PHP
   <link linkend="language.types.integer">integers</link> thus numbers
   starting by 0 are evaluated as octals and numbers starting by 0x are
   evaluated as hexadecimals.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

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