nathanielks / srdb

Safe Search and Replace on Database with Serialized Data

#Safe Search and Replace on Database with Serialized Data v3.0.4

This script is to solve the problem of doing database search and replace when developers have only gone and used the non-relational concept of serializing PHP arrays into single database columns. It will search for all matching data on the database and change it, even if it's within a serialized PHP array.

The big problem with serialised arrays is that if you do a normal DB style search and replace the lengths get mucked up. This search deals with the problem by unserializing and reserializing the entire contents of the database you're working on. It then carries out a search and replace on the data it finds, and dumps it back to the database. So far it appears to work very well. It was coded for our WordPress work where we often have to move large databases across servers, but I designed it to work with any database. Biggest worry for you is that you may not want to do a search and replace on every damn table * well, if you want, simply add some exclusions in the table loop and you'll be fine. If you don't know how, you possibly shouldn't be using this script anyway.

##Usage

BIG WARNING! Take a backup first, and carefully test the results of this code. If you don't, and you vape your data then you only have yourself to blame. Seriously. And if you're English is bad and you don't fully understand the instructions then STOP. Right there. Yes. Before you do any damage.

##Credits First Written 2009-05-25 by David Coveney of Interconnect IT Ltd (UK) http://www.davidcoveney.com or http://www.interconnectit.com

Thanks to moz667 at gmail dot com for his recursive_array_replace posted at uk.php.net which saved me a little time * a perfect sample for me and seems to work in all cases.

##License USE OF THIS SCRIPT IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. I/We accept no liability from its use.

Licensed under the WTFPL. To view the WTFPL go to http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/ (WARNING: it's a little rude, if you're sensitive);

###Changelog Version 3.0.1 * 3.0.4

• Separated form from srdp.php
• Changed srdp.php permissions
• Added #!/usr/local/bin/php to srdb.php
• Used wrong php location... woops

Version 3.0

• Command Line usage added by Nathaniel Schweinberg
• Removed deprecated functions

Version 2.1.0:

• Changed to version 2.1.0
  • Following change by Sergei Biryukov * merged in and tested by Dave Coveney
• Added Charset Support (tested with UTF-8, not tested on other charsets)
  • Following changes implemented by James Whitehead with thanks to all the commenters and feedback given!
• Removed PHP warnings if you go to step 3+ without DB details.
• Added options to skip changing the guid column. If there are other columns that need excluding you can add them to the $exclude_cols global array. May choose to add another option to the table select page to let you add to this array from the front end.
• Minor tweak to label styling.
• Added comments to each of the functions.
• Removed a dead param from icit_srdb_replacer Version 2.0.0:
• returned to using unserialize function to check if string is serialized or not
• marked is_serialized_string function as deprecated
• changed form order to improve usability and make use on multisites a bit less scary
• changed to version 2, as really should have done when the UI was introduced
• added a recursive array walker to deal with serialized strings being stored in serialized strings. Yes, really.
• changes by James R Whitehead (kudos for recursive walker) and David Coveney 2011-08-26 Version 1.0.2:
• typos corrected, button text tweak * David Coveney / Robert O'Rourke Version 1.0.1
• styling and form added by James R Whitehead.