php_array_variable.php

<?php

/*
 * Formats an array so that it can be copied and pasted directly as a PHP variable
 *
 * $arr => The input array
 * $varname => Optional. Example, '$foo' will prefix return with '$foo = '
 * $output => 'pre' (default) outputs with a <pre> tag. true outputs, false returns a string
 * $recursing => Used internally for recursion
 */
function php_array_variable($arr, $varname = null, $output = 'pre', $recursing = 0) {
	$formatted = '';

	if (!$recursing) {
		if ($output === 'pre') {
			$formatted .= '<pre>';
		}

		if ($varname) {
			$formatted .= $varname . ' = ';
		}
	}

	if (gettype($arr) === 'array') {
		$formatted .= '[' . "\n";
		foreach ($arr as $key => $val) {
			$formatted .= str_repeat("\t", ($recursing + 1));

			if (is_integer($key)) {
				$formatted .= $key;
			} else {
				$formatted .= "'" . $key . "'";
			}

			$formatted .= ' => ';

			if (gettype($val) === 'array') {
				// If the recursion returns an error, return false (error) for the whole call
				if (($tmp = php_array_variable($val, null, false, $recursing + 1)) === false) {
					return false;
				}
				$formatted .= $tmp;
			} else if (is_numeric($val)) {
				$formatted .= $val;
			} else if (is_bool($val)) {
				$formatted .= $val ? 'true' : 'false';
			} else if (is_null($val)) {
				$formatted .= 'null';
			} else if (gettype($val) !== 'object') {
				$formatted .= "'" . str_replace('\'', '\\\'', $val) . "'";
			} else {
				// Return false (error) if object encountered
				return false;
			}

			$formatted .= ',' . "\n";
		}

		$formatted .= str_repeat("\t", $recursing) . ']';
	} else {
		// $arr must be an array, return false (error) if not
		return false;
	}

	if ($recursing) {
		return $formatted;
	}

	$formatted .= ';';

	if ($output === 'pre') {
		$formatted .= "\n" . '</pre>';
	}

	if ($output) {
		echo $formatted;
		return true;
	} else {
		return $formatted;
	}
}

Test array:

$test = [
    1 => 'test',
    'two' => 'test2',
    4 => [
        'key' => true,
        'key2' => 2.2,
    ],
    5 => 'test3',
    6 => [
        'key3' => null,
        'key4' => [
            'key5' => 'value4',
            'key6' => 'value5',
        ],
    ],
];

Call:

php_array_variable($test, '$test');