PHP - How to Loop through JSON array with fields starting with "$" - php

Question

I have been trying to workout how to loop through and output the contents of a json file where field names start with "$" and keep getting an Undefined variable error message
Here is an example of the json file example (taken from https://mixpanel.com/help/reference/webhooks):
[
{
"$distinct_id":"13b20239a29335",
"$properties":{
"$region":"California",
"$email":"harry.q.bovik#andrew.cmu.edu",
"$last_name":"Bovik",
"$created":"2012-11-20T15:26:16",
"$country_code":"US",
"$first_name":"Harry",
"Referring Domain":"news.ycombinator.com",
"$city":"Los Angeles",
"Last Seen":"2012-11-20T15:26:17",
"Referring URL":"http://news.ycombinator.com/",
"$last_seen":"2012-11-20T15:26:19",
}
},
{
"$distinct_id":"13a00df8730412",
"$properties":{
"$region":"California",
"$email":"anna.lytics#mixpanel.com",
"$last_name":"Lytics",
"$created":"2012-11-20T15:25:38",
"$country_code":"US",
"$first_name":"Anna",
"Referring Domain":"www.quora.com",
"$city":"Mountain View",
"Last Seen":"2012-11-20T15:25:39",
"Referring URL":"http://www.quora.com/What-...",
"$last_seen":"2012-11-20T15:25:42",
}
}
]
I am testing with a static string just to try and get things working. Here is my test code...
<?php
$input = '[{"$distinct_id":"13b20239a29335","$properties":"dddd"}]';
$jsonObj = json_decode($input, true);
foreach ($jsonObj as $item) {
foreach ($item as $rec) {
echo '<br>';
$my_id = $rec->$distinct_id;
echo($my_id);
$my_id = $rec->$properties;
echo($my_id);
}
echo '<br>';
}
?>
Any help would be appreciated.
Noob!
UPDATE: Musa gave this example which works for the single level json:
foreach ($jsonObj as $item) {
echo '<br>';
$my_id = $item->{'$distinct_id'};
echo($my_id);
$my_id = $item->{'$properties'};
echo($my_id);
echo '<br>';
}
How can this then be adapted to read and output all elements of the bigger multi-level json file?

Answer 1

Use Curly bracket notation
$object->{'$property'};
Edit
foreach ($jsonObj as $item) {
echo '<br>';
$my_id = $item->{'$distinct_id'};
echo($my_id);
foreach ($item->{'$properties'} as $my_prop => $value){
echo("$my_prop => $value");
}
echo '<br>';
}
http://codepad.org/1cudZqlu
With the nested loop you're iterating the properties $distinct_id and $properties so $rec is actually a string and not an object.
Also your json is invalid as it has trailing , in the $properties field.