How do I parse a PHP serialized datastructure in Java?

Question

I have a system that combines the best and worst of Java and PHP. I am trying to migrate a component that was once written in PHP into a Java One.

Does anyone have some tips for how I can parse a PHP serialized datastructure in Java? By serialized I mean output from php's serialize function.

Answer 1

PHP serializes to a simple text-based format. PHPSerialize looks like a parser written in Java. You can also port the Python implementation to Java -- I doubt it's very complex.

Answer 2

I had the same issue and found this library: http://code.google.com/p/serialized-php-parser/

It does exactly what you need