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    filter_input_array

    (PHP 5 >= 5.2.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

    filter_input_array — Gets external variables and optionally filters them

    Description

    filter_input_array(int $type, array|int $options = FILTER_DEFAULT, bool $add_empty = true): array|false|null

    This function is useful for retrieving many values without repetitively calling filter_input().

    Parameters

    type

    One of INPUT_GET, INPUT_POST, INPUT_COOKIE, INPUT_SERVER, or INPUT_ENV.

    options

    An array defining the arguments. A valid key is a string containing a variable name and a valid value is either a filter type, or an array optionally specifying the filter, flags and options. If the value is an array, valid keys are filter which specifies the filter type, flags which specifies any flags that apply to the filter, and options which specifies any options that apply to the filter. See the example below for a better understanding.

    This parameter can be also an integer holding a filter constant. Then all values in the input array are filtered by this filter.

    add_empty

    Add missing keys as null to the return value.

    Return Values

    An array containing the values of the requested variables on success. If the input array designated by type is not populated, the function returns null if the FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE flag is not given, or false otherwise. For other failures, false is returned.

    An array value will be false if the filter fails, or null if the variable is not set. Or if the flag FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE is used, it returns false if the variable is not set and null if the filter fails. If the add_empty parameter is false, no array element will be added for unset variables.

    Examples

    Example #1 A filter_input_array() example

    <?php

    /* data actually came from POST
    $_POST = array(
    'product_id' => 'libgd<script>',
    'component' => array('10'),
    'version' => '2.0.33',
    'testarray' => array('2', '23', '10', '12'),
    'testscalar' => '2',
    );
    */

    $args = array(
    'product_id' => FILTER_SANITIZE_ENCODED,
    'component' => array('filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
    'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY,
    'options' => array('min_range' => 1, 'max_range' => 10)
    ),
    'version' => FILTER_SANITIZE_ENCODED,
    'doesnotexist' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
    'testscalar' => array(
    'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
    'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_SCALAR,
    ),
    'testarray' => array(
    'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT,
    'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY,
    )

    );

    $myinputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);

    var_dump($myinputs);
    echo     "\n";
    ?>

    The above example will output:

    array(6) {
  ["product_id"]=>
  string(17) "libgd%3Cscript%3E"
  ["component"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    int(10)
  }
  ["version"]=>
  string(6) "2.0.33"
  ["doesnotexist"]=>
  NULL
  ["testscalar"]=>
  int(2)
  ["testarray"]=>
  array(4) {
    [0]=>
    int(2)
    [1]=>
    int(23)
    [2]=>
    int(10)
    [3]=>
    int(12)
  }
}

    Notes

    Note:

    There is no REQUEST_TIME key in INPUT_SERVER array because it is inserted into the $_SERVER later.

    See Also

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    User Contributed Notes 9 notes

    up
    19
    sdupuis at blax dot ca
    10 years ago
    Note that although you can provide a default filter for the entire input array there is no way to provide a flag for that filter without building the entire definition array yourself.

    So here is a small function that can alleviate this hassle!

    <?php
    function filter_input_array_with_default_flags($type, $filter, $flags, $add_empty = true) {
    $loopThrough = array();
    switch (    $type) {
    case     INPUT_GET : $loopThrough = $_GET; break;
    case     INPUT_POST : $loopThrough = $_POST; break;
    case     INPUT_COOKIE : $loopThrough = $_COOKIE; break;
    case     INPUT_SERVER : $loopThrough = $_SERVER; break;
    case     INPUT_ENV : $loopThrough = $_ENV; break;
    }

    $args = array();
    foreach (    $loopThrough as $key=>$value) {
    $args[$key] = array('filter'=>$filter, 'flags'=>$flags);
    }

    return     filter_input_array($type, $args, $add_empty);
    }
    ?>
    up
    17
    CertaiN
    10 years ago
    [New Version]
    This function is very useful for filtering complicated array structure.
    Also, Some integer bitmasks and invalid UTF-8 sequence detection are available.

    Code:
    <?php
    /**
    * @param integer $type Constant like INPUT_XXX.
    * @param array $default Default structure of the specified super global var.
    * Following bitmasks are available:
    * + FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY - Force 1 dimensional array.
    * + FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM - Trim by ASCII control chars.
    * + FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM - Trim by ASCII control chars,
    * full-width and no-break space.
    * @return array The value of the filtered super global var.
    */
    define('FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY', 1);
    define('FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM', 2);
    define('FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM', 4);
    function     filter_struct_utf8($type, array $default) {
    static     $func = __FUNCTION__;
    static     $trim = "[\\x0-\x20\x7f]";
    static     $ftrim = "[\\x0-\x20\x7f\xc2\xa0\xe3\x80\x80]";
    static     $recursive_static = false;
    if (!    $recursive = $recursive_static) {
    $types = array(
    INPUT_GET => $_GET,
    INPUT_POST => $_POST,
    INPUT_COOKIE => $_COOKIE,
    INPUT_REQUEST => $_REQUEST,
    );
    if (!isset(    $types[(int)$type])) {
    throw new     LogicException('unknown super global var type');
    }
    $var = $types[(int)$type];
    $recursive_static = true;
    } else {
    $var = $type;
    }
    $ret = array();
    foreach (    $default as $key => $value) {
    if (    $is_int = is_int($value)) {
    if (!(    $value | (
    FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY |
    FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM |
    FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM
    ))) {
    $recursive_static = false;
    throw new     LogicException('unknown bitmask');
    }
    if (    $value & FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY) {
    $tmp = array();
    if (isset(    $var[$key])) {
    foreach ((array)    $var[$key] as $k => $v) {
    if (!    preg_match('//u', $k)){
    continue;
    }
    $value &= FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM | FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM;
    $tmp += array($k => $value ? $value : '');
    }
    }
    $value = $tmp;
    }
    }
    if (    $isset = isset($var[$key]) and is_array($value)) {
    $ret[$key] = $func($var[$key], $value);
    } elseif (!    $isset || is_array($var[$key])) {
    $ret[$key] = null;
    } elseif (    $is_int && $value & FILTER_STRUCT_FULL_TRIM) {
    $ret[$key] = preg_replace("/\A{$ftrim}++|{$ftrim}++\z/u", '', $var[$key]);
    } elseif (    $is_int && $value & FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM) {
    $ret[$key] = preg_replace("/\A{$trim}++|{$trim}++\z/u", '', $var[$key]);
    } else {
    $ret[$key] = preg_replace('//u', '', $var[$key]);
    }
    if (    $ret[$key] === null) {
    $ret[$key] = $is_int ? '' : $value;
    }
    }
    if (!    $recursive) {
    $recursive_static = false;
    }
    return     $ret;
    }
    ?>
    up
    8
    CertaiN
    11 years ago
    This function is very useful for filtering complicated array structure.

    Code:
    <?php
    function filter_request($var, $default_structure) {

    $ret = array();

    foreach (    $default_structure as $key => $value) {
    if (!isset(    $var[$key])) {
    $ret[$key] = $value;
    } elseif (    is_array($value)) {
    $ret[$key] = filter_request($var[$key], $value);
    } elseif (    is_array($var[$key])) {
    $ret[$key] = $value;
    } else {
    $ret[$key] = $var[$key];
    }
    }

    return     $ret;

    }
    ?>

    Sample Usage:
    <?php
    $_GET    ['a']['wrong_structure'] = 'foo';
    $_GET['b']['c'] = 'CORRECT';
    $_GET['b']['d']['wrong_structure'] = 'bar';
    $_GET['unneeded_item'] = 'baz';

    var_dump(filter_request($_GET, array(
    'a' => 'DEFAULT',
    'b' => array(
    'c' => 'DEFAULT',
    'd' => 'DEFAULT',
    ),
    )));
    ?>

    Sample Result:
    array(2) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(21) "DEFAULT"
    ["b"]=>
    array(2) {
    ["c"]=>
    string(12) "CORRECT"
    ["d"]=>
    string(21) "DEFAULT"
    }
    }
    up
    9
    Anonymous
    14 years ago
    Beware: if none of the arguments is set, this function returns NULL, not an array of NULL values.

    /* No POST vars set in request
    $_POST = array();
    */

    $args = array('some_post_var' => FILTER_VALIDATE_INT);
    $myinputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);
    var_dump($myinputs);

    Expected Output: array(1) { ["some_post_var"]=> NULL }

    Actual Output: NULL
    up
    5
    Kevin
    16 years ago
    Looks like filter_input_array isn't aware of changes to the input arrays that were made before calling filter_input_array. Instead, it always looks at the originally submitted input arrays.

    So this will not work:

    $_POST['my_float_field'] = str_replace(',','.',$_POST['my_float_field']);
    $args = array('my_float_field',FILTER_VALIDATE_FLOAT);
    $result = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $args);
    up
    5
    CertaiN
    10 years ago
    [New Version]

    Example Usage:
    <?php
    $_GET    ['A']['a'] = ' CORRECT(including some spaces) ';
    $_GET['A']['b'] = ' CORRECT(including some spaces) ';
    $_GET['A']['c'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
    $_GET['A']['d']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';

    $_GET['B']['a'] = ' CORRECT(including some spaces) ';
    $_GET['B']['b'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
    $_GET['B']['c']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';
    $_GET['B']["Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3"] = 'INVALID';

    $_GET['C']['a'] = ' CORRECT(including some spaces) ';
    $_GET['C']['b'] = "Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3";
    $_GET['C']['c']['invalid_structure'] = 'INVALID';
    $_GET['C']["Invalid UTF-8 sequence: \xe3\xe3\xe3"] = 'INVALID';

    $_GET['unneeded_item'] = 'UNNEEDED';

    var_dump(filter_struct_utf8(INPUT_GET, array(
    'A' => array(
    'a' => '',
    'b' => FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM,
    'c' => '',
    'd' => '',
    ),
    'B' => FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY,
    'C' => FILTER_STRUCT_FORCE_ARRAY | FILTER_STRUCT_TRIM,
    )));
    ?>

    Example Result:
    array(3) {
    ["A"]=>
    array(4) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(36) " CORRECT(including some spaces) "
    ["b"]=>
    string(30) "CORRECT(including some spaces)"
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["d"]=>
    string(0) ""
    }
    ["B"]=>
    array(3) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(36) " CORRECT(including some spaces) "
    ["b"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
    }
    ["C"]=>
    array(3) {
    ["a"]=>
    string(30) "CORRECT(including some spaces)"
    ["b"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["c"]=>
    string(0) ""
    }
    }
    up
    2
    ville at N0SPAM dot zydo dot com
    14 years ago
    While filtering input arrays, be careful of what flags you set besides FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY. For example, setting the flags like so:

    <?php
    $filter     = array(
    'myInputArr' => array('filter' => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
    'flags' => array('FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_LOW', 'FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY'))
    );

    $form_inputs = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, $filter);
    ?>

    .. will result in a blank $form_inputs['myInputArr'] regardless of what $_POST['myInputArr'] contains.
    up
    1
    kibblewhite at live dot com
    15 years ago
    If you are trying to handling multiple form inputs with same name, then you must assign the `'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY` to the definitions entry.

    Example, you have a html form as such:
    <form>
    <input name="t1[]" value="Some string One" />
    <input name="t1[]" value="Another String Two" />
    </form>

    Your definitions array will look a little like this:
    $args = array(
    't1' => array(
    'name' => 't1',
    'filter' => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
    'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY)
    );
    up
    0
    cornelyu85 at yahoo dot com
    1 year ago
    Here's an extended function that allows you to keep also the unfiltered items/args from the request, while you also apply validation to some of them:

    <?php

    $validationRules     = [
    'foo' => [
    'filter' => FILTER_VALIDATE_REGEXP,
    'options' => ['regexp' => '/^(bar|baz)$/i']
    ]
    ];

    $request = filter_input_array_keep_unfiltered_args(INPUT_POST, $validationRules);

    var_dump($request);

    function     filter_input_array_keep_unfiltered_args($type, $filters, $addEmpty = true)
    {
    $rawRequest = filter_input_array($type);

    $validationRules = [];
    foreach (    $rawRequest as $key => $value) {
    $validationRules[$key] = isset($filters[$key]) ? $filters[$key] : ['filter' => FILTER_DEFAULT];
    }

    return     filter_input_array($type, $validationRules, $addEmpty);
    }

    ?>
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