Write data into file in php array format

write_contents_as_php_array_into_file.php

<?php

if (!function_exists('write_contents_as_php_array_into_file')) {
    /**
     * Writes the contents of given string/object/array to the file in php array format.
     *
     * @param mixed $contents
     * @param bool $die
     * @return string
     */

    function write_contents_as_php_array_into_file($contents, $die = false)
    {
        $filePath = base_path() . '/tests/fixtures/test.php';
        $folderPath = base_path() . '/tests/fixtures';

        $startWith = '<?php $array = ';

        if (!file_exists($filePath)) {
            mkdir($folderPath);
        }

        if (file_exists($filePath)) {
            file_put_contents($filePath, '');
        }


        if (getType($contents) === 'string' || getType($contents) === 'object') {
            $contents = str_replace('{', '[', $contents);
            $contents = str_replace('}', ']', $contents);
            $contents = str_replace(':', '=>', $contents);
            $contents = str_replace("'", '', $contents);

            file_put_contents($filePath, var_export($startWith. $contents . ';', true));

        }
        if (getType($contents) === 'array') {
            $contents = var_export($contents, true);
            $contents = str_replace('array', '', $contents);
            $contents = str_replace('(', '[', $contents);
            $contents = str_replace(')', ']', $contents);

            for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
                $contents = str_replace($i .' =>', '', $contents);
            }
            
            for ($i = 0; $i <= 10; $i++) {
                $contents = str_replace($i, '', $contents);
            }

            file_put_contents($filePath, $startWith . $contents . ';');
        }

        if ($die) {
            die(var_dump('Array written to the file'));
        }
    }
}

// Pass the variable as the first parameter and it will create a file (test.php) under /tests/fixtures folder
// and write the contents of the variable as a PHP array. Supports arrays, objects (collections, json) and string
// (json_encode). Second dependency will make the code stop at that line and dump a message.

// I got this together in a Laravel 6.x project but it should be good enough in a vanilla PHP environnent. 
// The basic idea is, dumping a response of an external source (think Guzzle response of an API), to a file,
// making the changes and using it in your mock tests. I am sure there are better ways to do this but, I think that
// the ability of accessing contents of a variable and interacting with it manually can be very convenient.

    // Example I/O // 
    
    // Array Input
    $exampleArray = ['foo' => ['bar' => ['baz']]];
    write_contents_as_php_array_into_file($exampleArray, true);
    
    // Output 
      <?php $array =  [
            'foo' => 
             [
               'bar' => 
                [
                 'baz',
                ],
               ],
             ];
            
     // String Input (Json, using json_encode)
     $exampleArray = ['foo' => ['bar' => ['baz']]];
     $exampleJson = json_encode($exampleArray, 128);
     write_contents_as_php_array_into_file($exampleJson, true);
     
     // Output
     '<?php $array = [
        "foo"=> [
           "bar"=> [
              "baz"
                  ]
              ]
          ];'

     // Object Input (Object, using collections)
     $exampleArray = ['foo' => ['bar' => ['baz']]];
     $exampleObject = collect($exampleArray);
     write_contents_as_php_array_into_file($exampleObject, true);
     
     // Output
     '<?php $array = ["foo"=>["bar"=>["baz"]]];'