[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #9663: is_serialized() should be renamed to might_be_serialized();

[WordPress Trac]

#9663: is_serialized() should be renamed to might_be_serialized();
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  hakre         |        Owner:  anonymous
     Type:  defect (bug)  |       Status:  closed   
 Priority:  normal        |    Milestone:  2.9      
Component:  Charset       |      Version:  2.7.1    
 Severity:  normal        |   Resolution:  wontfix  
 Keywords:  has-patch     |  
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Changes (by hakre):

  * keywords:  => has-patch


Comment:

 Replying to [comment:10 sirzooro]:
 > PCRE functions in PHP 4.3 are utf-8-aware - excerpt from
 [http://www.php.net/manual/en/reference.pcre.pattern.modifiers.php PHP
 documentation for Pattern Modifiers]:
 >
 > >u (PCRE8)[[BR]]
 > >This modifier turns on additional functionality of PCRE that is
 incompatible with Perl. Pattern strings are treated as UTF-8. This
 modifier is available from PHP 4.1.0 or greater on Unix and from PHP 4.2.3
 on win32. UTF-8 validity of the pattern is checked since PHP 4.3.5.
 >
 >
 > So in 4.3 we do not have checks for utf-8 pattern validity, but
 functionality is present.

 That's right, but actually I did not see a problem with the regex pattern
 here but with the design of the function / concept in which this function
 is used in. Technically spoken there is no other way to ensure that a
 string is a serialized value then de-serializing it and in case it returns
 false, to re-check the given string if it contains the serialized value of
 false {{{"b:0;"}}} or not.

 Slight improvements to the function can be made to differ between
 array/object and string.

 I took the oportunity to review the function again:

   * The function does a trim() on the input data. If the input data is
 serialized, there would be no need to trim the data for a propper test. I
 should be removed.
   * Serialized data can somehow be large. Passing it per reference might
 save a bit.
   * The identification of the main type being serialized was a bit akward.
 Streamlined it.
   * Array, Object and String could be better tested.

 To improve the overall concept, a function can be created that not only
 returns true or false but the main serialized vartype as string. Most
 often serialization is used to store arrays or object into the database.
 With such a function, it could be differed between skalar types on the one
 and object/arrays on the other side. So if a value from database is
 retrieved that could be a serialized string then this would be a hint,
 that the value acutally is not serialized.

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/9663#comment:11>
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