recursively cast a PHP object to array

php_object_to_array.php

<?php
/*
This function saved my life.
found on: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums//showthread.php?t=438748
by: crvandyke

It takes an object, and when all else if/else/recursive functions fail to convert the object into an associative array, this one goes for the kill. Who would'a thunk it?!
*/

$array = json_decode(json_encode($object), true);

just in case performance matters

function objectToArray($object)
{
    if(!is_object($object) && !is_array($object)) {
        return $object;
    }

    return array_map('objectToArray', (array) $object);
}

from SO

$array = json_decode(json_encode($object), true);

Absolutely brilliant. You, sir, are a genius.