title: Working with serialized data in Wordpress
body: <p>I have the following string of serialized data in a Wordpress custom field:</p>
  
  <pre><code>$first_string = 'a:9:{s:5:"email";s:13:"test@test.com";s:4:"name";s:15:"Werner  
  Etsebeth";s:8:"address1";s:17:"1 Giligans  
  Island";s:8:"address2";s:1:"5";s:4:"city";s:9:"Cape  
  Town";s:5:"state";s:2:"AL";s:3:"zip";s:4:"7460";s:7:"
  country";s:2:"US";s:5:"phone";s:0:"";}
  
  $second_string = 'a:1:{i:4;a:1:{i:0;a:6: 
  {s:3:"SKU";s:0:"";s:4:"name";s:12:"Hypnotherapy";s:3:"url";s:72:"http://localhost
  /mindworksa.co.za/wordpress/store/products/hypnotherapy
  /";s:5:"price";s:5:"50.00";s:8:"quantity";s:1:"1";s:8:"download";s:0:"";}}}'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>How do I assign the info to variables so I can access individually eg $SKU = "", $name = etc.</p>
  
  <p>I've never worked with serialized data before and any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>Many thanks</p>