php - Does WooCommerce Order Item Meta value need to be a string? -

this question out of pure curiosity.

as stated in title, woocommerce order item meta need string.

hypothetically speaking have meta data array?
if so, need go things differently?

i know in order add new meta data need use along lines of following code:

wc_add_order_item_meta($item_id, 'mymetaname', 'john doe', true); 

but, know if possible have meta data of different data type.

any input appreciated!

yes can array.

if database table '_line_tax_data' meta_key serialized array meta_value this:

a:2:{s:5:"total";a:1:{i:2;s:4:"1.92";}s:8:"subtotal";a:1:{i:2;s:3:"2.4";}} 

and in source code:

/**  * woocommerce order item meta api - add term meta.  *  * @access public  * @param mixed $item_id  * @param mixed $meta_key  * @param mixed $meta_value  * @param bool $unique (default: false)  * @return int new row id or 0  */ function wc_add_order_item_meta( $item_id, $meta_key, $meta_value, $unique = false ) {     $data_store = wc_data_store::load( 'order-item' );     if ( $meta_id = $data_store->add_metadata( $item_id, $meta_key, $meta_value, $unique ) ) {         $cache_key = wc_cache_helper::get_cache_prefix( 'order-items' ) . 'object_meta_' . $item_id;         wp_cache_delete( $cache_key, 'order-items' );         return $meta_id;     }     return 0; }