Array becoming multi-dimensional in AJAX request - php

Question

So I am creating a function in WordPress which counts and sets a user session and storing its values in the user's local storage. I was able to make it work perfectly by using cookies and when the site is hosted locally, for some reason, it is not working when I uploaded it on the staging site. So I am trying implement this function using another approach and decided to use local storage instead.
There's a problem with the Array values that the function is generating and I have spent almost the entire day trying to debug the problem. It is generating multi-dimensional instead of a single one.
Here's my function code:
function monitor_post_views() {
$page_id = 'page' . $_POST['page_id'];
$timestamp = time();
// 30 minutes timeout
$timeout = 1800;
// Serves as my guide for debugging, will not include in the final code
$message = '';
if ( ! empty($_POST['page_id_array']) ) {
//Checks if values from local storage exist
//Gets the stored Array coming from AJAX call
$page_id_array[] = json_decode(stripslashes($_POST['page_id_array']), true);
if ( in_array_r($page_id_array, $page_id) ) {
//Check if current page is found in array
$message = 'FOUND IN ARRAY CHECKING !!!!';
$temp= [];
$page_id_array_temp = array('id' => $page_id, 'expiration' => $timestamp, 'message' => $message);
$temp = $page_id_array_temp;
//Pushes the generated array inside the $page_id_array
array_push($page_id_array, $temp);
print_r(json_encode($page_id_array));
foreach ( $page_id_array as $page ) {
//If page is in array, check if the session is expired, if not, do nothing, if expired, update and then run the view function
}
} else {
// ID Not found in Array, Insert a new entry
$message = 'ID NOT FOUND IN ARRAY, CREATING ENTRY !!!';
$temp = [];
$page_id_array_temp = array('id' => $page_id, 'expiration' => $timestamp, 'message' => $message);
$temp = $page_id_array_temp;
//Pushes the generated array inside the $page_id_array
array_push($page_id_array, $temp);
print_r(json_encode($page_id_array));
//Set post view function here base on $_POST['page_id']
}
} else {
//Not found in local storage, need to create one
$message = 'CREATING A NEW ENTRY !!!!';
$temp = [];
$page_id_array = array('id' => $page_id, 'expiration' => $timestamp, 'message' => $message);
$temp = $page_id_array;
print_r(json_encode($temp));
//Set post view function here base on $_POST['page_id']
}
wp_die();
}
add_action('wp_ajax_monitor_post_views', 'monitor_post_views');
add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_monitor_post_views', 'monitor_post_views');
Here's a screenshot of what this function generates
Array
Here's a sample JSON
[[{"id":"page1202","expiration":1551125579,"message":"FOUND IN ARRAY CHECKING !!!!"},{"id":"page1206","expiration":1551125613,"message":"ID NOT FOUND IN ARRAY !!!! INSERTING ENTRY !!!"}],{"id":"page1296","expiration":1551125624,"message":"ID NOT FOUND IN ARRAY !!!! INSERTING ENTRY !!!"}]
I was trying to generate a one dimensional but ended up with this.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance

Answer 1

The problem is you are creating arrays too many times:
Change $page_id_array and $page_id_array_temp to
$page_id_array=new \stdClass();//no need to declare as an array
replace
$page_id_array_temp = array('id' => $page_id, 'expiration' => $timestamp, 'message' => $message);
with
$page_id_array->id=$page_id;
$page_id_array->expiration=$timestamp;
$page_id_array->message=$message;
also change
$temp = [];
you can use it directly
//no need to declare $temp as an array
$temp=$page_id_array;