string to AssociativeArray

How can I make an AssociativeArray from a string.

[appi2]

If I have a string

$string = "puppies¦4¦fluffy kittens¦8¦tribbles¦7835687¦";

Whats the best way to get to

$AssociativeArray = array(puppies =>4 , fluffy kittens =>8 , tribbles =>7835687);

[jezra]

This is untested, so your milage may vary. I would try something like this.

$string = "puppies¦4¦fluffy kittens¦8¦tribbles¦7835687¦"; 
$values = explode("¦",$string); 
$my_array = array(); 
for ($i=0;$i<count($values)-1;$i+=2 ) 
{ 
 $my_array["\"".$values[$i]."\""]=$values[$i+1]; 
} 
print_r($my_array); 
echo "damn, that's a lot of tribbles";