title: Php using unserialize() and serialize() changing values in a saved file
body: <p>I have a serialized array of values saved to a file and need to change the value of one of the variables. In the example I change the value of $two and then save the whole array back into the file with the new value.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a more efficient way of altering just the single value with out having to read and write the entire file/array.</p>
  
  <pre><code>$data = file_get_contents('./userInfo');
  
  $data = unserialize($data);
  extract($data);
  $two="this is a altered value";
  
   $userData = array(
          'one'          =&gt; $one,
          'two'          =&gt; $two,
          'three'        =&gt; $three
          );
  
   $file=fopen("../userInfo",'w');
          fwrite($file, $userData);
   fclose($file);
  </code></pre>