<doc>

<legacy_id>3518</legacy_id>

<name>arrayDecode</name>

<type>function</type>

<syntax>

<example>arrayDecode(<i>encodedArray</i>)</example>

</syntax>

<library></library>

<objects>

</objects>

<synonyms>

</synonyms>

<classification>

<category>Writing LiveCode</category>

</classification>

<references>

<function tag="arrayEncode">arrayEncode Function</function>

<function tag="URLDecode">URLDecode Function</function>

</references>

<history>

<introduced version="3.5">Added.</introduced>

</history>

<platforms>

<mac/>

<windows/>

<linux/>

<ios/>

<android/>

</platforms>

<classes>

<desktop/>

<server/>

<web/>

<mobile/>

</classes>

<security>

</security>

<summary>Converts a serialized array back into the original array.</summary>

<examples>

<example>put arrayDecode(loadPreferencesData("displayOptions")) into sDisplayOptionsArray</example>

<example>read from socket tClient until linefeed</p><p>put urlDecode(arrayDecode(it)) into tClientDataArray</example>

</examples>

<description>

<p>Use the <b>arrayDecode</b> function to rebuild an array from an encoded string produced by the <function tag="arrayEncode">arrayEncode function</function>. </p><p/><p><b>Parameters:</b></p><p>The <i>encodedArray</i> is a binary string representing an array, as returned by the <function tag="arrayEncode">arrayEncode function</function>.</p><p/><p><b>Comments:</b></p><p>Encoding and decoding arrays is designed to allow arrays to be written to a file on disk, or sent across a network. See the <function tag="arrayEncode">arrayEncode</function> reference for more information on doing this.</p><p/><p><b>Note:</b> It is possible for two different strings to produce the same array. This is due to arrays having a different ordering of <function tag="keys">keys</function>. To see if two encoded arrays are equal, first decode them back into the original array, then directly compare them using the <operator tag="=">= operator.</operator></p>

</description>

</doc>