php convert multidimensional array to json object - php

Question

PHP NEWBIE
[PHP 7.4]
I am trying to refactor some old code.
GOAL: The two JSON must match.
Code snipppet 1: Old JSON code generated from php array
Code snippet 2: New JSON code generated from php array
Objective: Both must match, I am using php unit to compare them. For simplicity, I have removed the testing code.
PROBLEM: Extra set of square brackets, see image below.
I tried Using JSON_FORCE_OBJECT, which removes the square brackets, but introduces {... john: { "0": { "byEmail" ... " and ... "marie": { "1" { "byEmail" ...
(Naming wise: I have used John and marie, but these could be promotions, offers, packages, etc. so ignore the naming please)
SNIPPET 1 - php code
$body = [
"data" => [
"john" => [
"byEmail" => [
"status" => true,
"source" => "my-server",
],
"byPhoneCall" => [
"status" => true,
"source" => "my-server",
]
],
"marie" => [
"byEmail" => [
"status" => true,
"source" => "my-server",
],
"byPhoneCall" => [
"status" => true,
"source" => "my-server",
]
]
]
];
This gets converted to this JSON object:
// SNIPPET 1 - running json_encode()
{
"data": {
"john": {
"byEmail": {
"source": "my-server",
"status": true
},
"byPhoneCall": {
"source": "my-server",
"status": true
}
},
"marie": {
"byEmail": {
"source": "my-server",
"status": true
},
"byPhoneCall": {
"source": "my-server",
"status": true
}
}
}
}
SNIPPET 2:
I am creating this data structure dynamically now, because future requirement may have johnByPost, johnByFax, etc.:
//my-file-dynamic-generation.php
public function constructArray($johnByEmail=null, $johnByPhone=null, $marieByEmail=null, $marieByPhone=null) {
$body = [ "data" => ["john" => [], "marie" => []]];
if ($johnByEmail !== null) {
array_push($body["data"]["john"], $this->createKeyValuePair("byEmail", $johnByEmail));
}
if ($johnByPhone !== null) {
array_push($body["data"]["john"], $this->createKeyValuePair("byPhoneCall", $johnByPhone));
}
if ($marieByEmail !== null) {
array_push($body["data"]["marie"], $this->createKeyValuePair("byEmail", $marieByEmail));
}
if ($marieByPhone !== null) {
array_push($body["data"]["marie"], $this->createKeyValuePair("byPhoneCall", $marieByPhone));
}
return $body;
}
// HELPER func
function createKeyValuePair($title=null, $status=null, $source="my-server") {
return [
$title => [
"status" => $status,
"source" => $source,
]
];
}
JSON - OUTPUT
I have tried to use json_encode($data, JSON_FORCE_OBJECT)
That resulted me to get an extra key, which I don't want (I got .... [0] => 'marie' => ... [1] => 'john'
Appreciate reading this, thanks!

Answer 1

You are creating a new array inside the function createKeyValuePair() (probably to add the key). You could use the function the create the content only, and create the key inside the function constructArray() :
$body["data"]["john"]["byEmail"] = $this->createKeyValuePair($johnByEmail);
and the function :
function createKeyValuePair($status = null, $source = "my-server"): array
{
return [
"status" => $status,
"source" => $source,
];
}