In a SQL loop how to I amend to a sub-array? - php

Question

I am trying to add data in from SQL loop into a specific section of an array, however it does't seem to keep the array format when I do a json encode.
I create the array:
$array['type'] = 'update';
$array['tags']['data'] = array(array('name' => "Tag", 'tags' => array()));
Then in my sql loop in the while:
$array['tags']['data']['tags'][] = array('a' => "$row[a]", 'b' => "$row[b]");
after this loop, json encode:
json_encode($array);
In the output, the "tags" has the rows added under data, and the one I setup for the array is now under tags:data:0:tags , and it has not populated this.
Also data has gone from [ ] to { }, and I need it to be [{ }]. If I take out the loop, the data section is with [ { } ] as expected.
Hope that makes sense! if not can expand more.
Many thanks

Answer 1

You have an extra array between data and tags
$array['tags']['data'] = array(array('name' => "Tag", 'tags' => array()));
print_r($array);
Output
Array
(
[tags] => Array
(
[data] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Tag
[tags] => Array
(
)
)
)
)
)
Then you try to access (for assignment)
$array['tags']['data']['tags'][] = array('a' => "$row[a]", 'b' => "$row[b]");
Which based on your $array should actually be
$array['tags']['data'][0]['tags'][]
Or something like that...
Without more to actually go on that's the best I can do, this really doesn't rate a answer, but there was no way to illustrate an array with that much nesting within a comment.
What you'll wind up with is something like this:
Array
(
[tags] => Array
(
[data] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Tag
[tags] => Array
(
)
),
[tags] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
a => "$row[a]",
b => "$row[b]"
)
[1] => Array(...)
)
)
)
)
Which because of the mixed keys ['data' => [0 => ['name'=>'Tag',...], 'tags' => [...]] Will give you a JSON object at that location {data : {0:{name:"Tag",...},tags:[]}}
P.S this really annoys me "$row[a]" - I don't know why but it does ... lol