Inserting data into associative array - php

Question

I have a class property where i define an associative array
private $jsonArray = array('Friends' => array());
Im trying to have the array have each friend be put into the array Friends
[Accepted] = test
$query = "SELECT Username, Status
FROM Users
INNER JOIN Friends
ON Users.idUser = Friends.idFriend
WHERE Friends.idUser = ? ";
// Prepares and excutes the query
if($stmt = $this->connection->prepare($query))
{
$stmt->bind_param('s', $this->id);
$stmt->execute();
$stmt->bind_result($friend, $status);
for ($i=0; $stmt->fetch(); $i++)
{
$this->jsonArray['Friends'][$status] = $friend;
}
}
Is this the correct way to define the key for the friend it works but when i json encode its a dict and no longer an array
{
"response": {
"status":"Success",
"friends": [
"Andrew",
"Jake",
"Matt",
"Phil",
"Colton"
],
"groups": [
{
"GroupId": "12",
"GroupMembers": [
"Andrew",
"Matt",
"Colton"
],
"GroupName": “Group1”
},
{
"GroupId": "12",
"GroupMembers": [
"Phil",
"Matt",
"Colton"
],
"GroupName": "Room 201"
}
]
}
}

Answer 1

With this you'll always have one $friend per [$status] - if that is wanted, then it's ok. But from the looks, you'd be better off with something like this
for ($i=0; $stmt->fetch(); $i++) {
$this->jsonArray['Friends'][$status][] = $friend;
}
Now you'll have an array of $friends inside [$status].
...
Friends: {
"Accepted": ["friend1", "friend2", ...]
}
...
Or this
for ($i=0; $stmt->fetch(); $i++) {
$this->jsonArray['Friends'][] = $friend;
}
Since you know their $status - why even use it?
...
Friends: ["friend1", "friend2", ...]
...