String to byte/binary arrays in PHP

Question

How do I convert a string to a binary array in PHP?

Answer 1

I think you are asking for the equivalent to the Perl pack/unpack functions. If that is the case, I suggest you look at the PHP pack/unpack functions:

• Unpack
• Pack

Answer 2

If you're trying to access a specific part of a string you can treat it like an array as-is.

$foo = 'bar';
echo $foo[0];

output: b