Searching JSON PHP - php

Question

I have JSON that looks like this (shortened for readability):
{
"heroes": [
{
"name": "antimage",
"id": 1,
"localized_name": "Anti-Mage"
},
{
"name": "axe",
"id": 2,
"localized_name": "Axe"
},
{
"name": "bane",
"id": 3,
"localized_name": "Bane"
}
]
}
I have a PHP variable that is equal to one of the three ids. I need to search the JSON for the id and return the localized name. This is what I’m trying so far.
$heroid = $myplayer['hero_id'];
$heroes = file_get_contents("data/heroes.json");
$heroesarray = json_decode($heroes, true);
foreach ($heroesarray as $parsed_key => $parsed_value) {
if ($parsed_value['id'] == $heroid) {
$heroname = $parsed_value['localized_name'];
}
}

Answer 1

Easy. Just use json_decode(). Explanation follows the code at the bottom.
// First set the ID you want to look for.
$the_id_you_want = 2;
// Next set the $json.
$json = <<<EOT
{
"heroes": [
{
"name": "antimage",
"id": 1,
"localized_name": "Anti-Mage"
},
{
"name": "axe",
"id": 2,
"localized_name": "Axe"
},
{
"name": "bane",
"id": 3,
"localized_name": "Bane"
}
]
}
EOT;
// Now decode the json & return it as an array with the `true` parameter.
$decoded = json_decode($json, true);
// Set to 'TRUE' for testing & seeing what is actually being decoded.
if (FALSE) {
echo '<pre>';
print_r($decoded);
echo '</pre>';
}
// Now roll through the decoded json via a foreach loop.
foreach ($decoded as $decoded_array_key => $decoded_array_value) {
// Since this json is an array in another array, we need anothe foreach loop.
foreach ($decoded_array_value as $decoded_key => $decoded_value) {
// Do a comparison between the `$decoded_value['id']` and $the_id_you_want
if ($decoded_value['id'] == $the_id_you_want) {
echo $decoded_value['localized_name'];
}
}
}
Okay, the reason my first try at this did not work—and neither did yours—is your JSON structure was nested one more level deep that what is expected. See the debugging code I have in place with print_r($decoded);? This is the output when decoded as an array:
Array
(
[heroes] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => antimage
[id] => 1
[localized_name] => Anti-Mage
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => axe
[id] => 2
[localized_name] => Axe
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => bane
[id] => 3
[localized_name] => Bane
)
)
)
First you have an array to begin with which could equate to $decoded[0] and then below that you have another array that equates to $decoded[0]['heroes'] and then in there is the array that contains the values which is structured as $decoded[0]['heroes'][0], $decoded[0]['heroes'][1], $decoded[0]['heroes'][2].
But the key to solving this was the print_r($decoded); which helped me see the larger structure of your JSON.

Answer 2

json_decode() takes a JSON string and (if the second parameter is true) turns it into an associate array. We then loop through this data with a foreach until we find the hero you want.
$json = ''; // JSON string
$data = json_decode($json, true);
foreach($data['heroes'] as $hero) {
if($hero['id'] === 2) {
var_dump($hero['localized_name']);
// Axe
// This will stop the loop, if you want to keep going remove this line
break;
}
}