Stripping out numerical array keys from var_export

You have to set the second parameter of var_export to true, or else there is no return value given to your preg_replace call.

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Reference: https://php.net/manual/function.var-export.php

return
If used and set to TRUE, var_export() will return the variable representation instead of outputting it.

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Update: Looking back on this question, I have a hunch, a simple array_values($input) would have been enough.