title: Storing PHP Arrays in Wordpress User Meta Database
body: <p>This should be easy for a PHP expert. I am having trouble storing and pulling arrays in Wordpress through the update_user_meta function.</p>
  
  <p>So I have an associative array built like so:</p>
  
  <pre>Array
  (
      [film_genres] => Array
          (
              [action] => 50
              [comedy] => 50
              [crime] => 50
              [documentary] => 50
              [drama] => 50
              [family] => 50
              [horror] => 50
              [romantic] => 50
              [sci-fi] => 50
              [thriller] => 50
          )
  
      [film_types] => Array
          (
              [blockbuster] => 0
              [independent] => 0
          )
  
      [film_eras] => Array
          (
              [1920s_1940s] => 0
              [1950s_1960s] => 0
              [1970s_1980s] => 0
              [1990s_2000s] => 0
              [post_2010] => 0
              [pre_1920s] => 0
          )
  
      [last_updated] => 2011-10-12 21:21:28
  )</pre>
  
  <p>But when I go to update this data in the user meta table via:</p>
  
  <p><strong>update_user_meta( $user_id, $meta_key, $meta_value, $prev_value )</strong></p>
  
  <p>The data gets put in the db properly, but when i call the data back and print the new array to screen, it has a nested array key of [0] within the array, like this:</p>
  
  <pre>
  Array
  (
      [0] => Array
          (
              [film_genres] => Array
                  (
                      [action] => 50
                      [comedy] => 50
                      [crime] => 50
                      [documentary] => 50
                      [drama] => 50
                      [family] => 50
                      [horror] => 50
                      [romantic] => 50
                      [sci-fi] => 50
                      [thriller] => 50
                  )
  
              [film_types] => Array
                  (
                      [blockbuster] => 0
                      [independent] => 0
                  )
  
              [film_eras] => Array
                  (
                      [1920s_1940s] => 0
                      [1950s_1960s] => 0
                      [1970s_1980s] => 0
                      [1990s_2000s] => 0
                      [post_2010] => 0
                      [pre_1920s] => 0
                  )
  
              [last_updated] => 2011-10-12 21:21:28
          )
  
  )
  </pre>
  
  <p>How can I get it to store the array exactly like my first array?  I am pulling the meta value array via the WP command:  </p>
  
  <p><code>$wp_user_film_prefs_arr = get_user_meta( $wp_user_id, $wp_user_film_prefs_key_label, false );</code></p>
  
  <p>Is there something I'm doing wrong?  Thanks in advance!!!</p>