Add data to JSON child array - php

Question

This is my JSON file(database.json):
{
"doctors": [
{
"ID": "ahmadakhavan",
"pass": "1234",
"name": "Ahmad Akhavan",
"profilePic": "address",
},
{
"ID": "akramparand",
"pass": "1234",
"name": "Akram Parand",
"profilePic": "address",
}
],
"games": [
{
"ID": "shuttlefuel_1",
"locked": "0",
"logo": "gameLogo",
},
{
"ID": "birthdaycake",
"locked": "0",
"logo": "gameLogo",
}
],
"users": [
{
"ID": "alirezapir",
"prescribes": [
{
"doctorName": "doctor1",
"done": "yes",
"gameId": "wordschain"
},
{
"doctorName": "doctor2",
"done": "no",
"gameId": "numberlab"
}
],
"profilePic": "address"
},
{
"ID": "amirdibaei",
"pass": "1234",
"profilePic": "address"
}
]
}
I want to add a child under prescribes array for a specific ID.
Below is what I have done in my PHP code to do this:
<?php
$username = $_REQUEST['name'];
$data = $_REQUEST['data'];
//Load the file
$contents = file_get_contents('./database.json');
$arraydata = json_decode($data,true);
//Decode the JSON data into a PHP array.
$contentsDecoded = json_decode($contents, true );
foreach($contentsDecoded['users'] as $item){
if($item['ID'] == $username){
if(!isset($item['prescribes'])){
$item['prescribes'] = Array();
}
array_push($item['prescribes'],$arraydata);
$json = json_encode($contentsDecoded, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE );
file_put_contents('./database.json', $json);
exit('1');
exit;
}
}
exit('0');
exit;
?>
If I echo $item['prescribes'] after the line array_push($item['prescribes'],$arraydata); I see data added to it, but the original file (database.json) won't show new added data.
(meaning that this new data is not added to $contentsDecoded)

Answer 1

You have to change foreach() code like below:-
foreach($contentsDecoded['users'] as &$item){ //& used as call by reference
if($item['ID'] == $username){
$item['prescribes'][] = $arraydata; //assign new value directly
$json = json_encode($contentsDecoded, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE );
file_put_contents('./database.json', $json);
exit;
}
}

Answer 2

Change your foreach to change the $contentsDecoded array:
foreach($contentsDecoded['users'] as $key => $item){
if($item['ID'] == $username){
if(!isset($item['prescribes'])){
$contentsDecoded['users'][$key]['prescribes'] = Array();
}
array_push($contentsDecoded['users'][$key]['prescribes'],$arraydata);
$json = json_encode($contentsDecoded, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE );
file_put_contents('./database.json', $json);
exit('1');
exit;
}
}