PHP to JSON encoding - php

I am trying to write this using php and json_encode
{"patient": {"demographics": {}}
}
This is the Array I am using with json encode.
Array("patient" => Array("demographics" => Array()))
When I echo the output, this is what I get:
{"patient":{"demographics":[]}}
I really think this is a stupid mistake ob my part. All help is appreciated.

try
json_encode($your_array, JSON_FORCE_OBJECT)
as per the docs: http://php.net/json_encode
By default, php arrays stay arrays ([]) when json'd, unless there's a single non-numeric key, in which case it'll be an object

You can also try this:
json_encode(Array("patient" => Array("demographics" => new stdClass)));
This way you can have empty arrays and empty objects in the same JSON, which would not be possible using the other answer.

Related

How to return an array instead of object in JSON response?

I've one working REST API developed using Slim PHP framework.
It's working absolutely fine.
The only issue is when there is no error present i.e. an array $errors is empty it comes as an array in JSON response but when the array $errors contains any error like $errors['user_name'] then it comes as an object in JSON response.
Actually I want to return the array when error is present. How should I do this? Can someone please help me in this regard?
Thanks in advance.
When your $errors is not empty, pass it through json_encode and echo it.
It will give you JSON object in return,
then convert JSON object into JavaScript array. (see the following code.)
var o = {"0":"1","1":"2","2":"3","3":"4"}; // your response object here
var arr = Object.keys(o).map(function(k) { return o[k] });
console.log(arr);
Recently got a close issue with Symfony's JsonResponse::create()
Turns out arrays with index not starting at 0 will be encoded into objects, as well as arrays with "holes", and probably any array with at least one non-int key.
In other word, arrays with anything else than consecutive numeric keys starting from index 0 seem to be encoded as object.
I guess this is designed to avoid sending big empty arrays when you map a handful of datas with big indices like [14334, 839493, 246193], and is probably documented somewhere.
Learning if this is a Symfony of json_encode behavior from comments would be welcomed addition :)
Note : Even if you return an array, it seems necessary to wrap it in an object for GET request to prevent some XSSI and JSON-JavaScript Hijacking.

PHP JSON format object

PHP Noob here...
if i have JSON format: {"0":"0x1001C","1":"0"}
but what i really want is is: {"0x1001C","0"}
how do i attain this?
esentially, i have an array which contains keys and values.
i'm removing the keys (as this is a requrement) and the final array must be in object format (in other words, JSON has to return something with {} rather than [] )
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
echo json_encode(array('0x1001c', '0'), JSON_FORCE_OBJECT);
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
as per the docs: http://php.net/json_encode

Help editing JSON to make an array rather than a 'dictionary'

I currently have json using json_encode from a mysql query which looks like this:
{"post_2":{"caption":"...","id":"...","accountID":"..","date":"07\/07\/2011 1:45:12 AM","title":"...","authorInfo":{"Email Address":"..."}}}, {"post_2":{"caption":"...","id":"...","accountID":"..","date":"07\/07\/2011 1:45:12 AM","title":"...","authorInfo":{"Email Address":"..."}}}
How can I have the json being an array of posts ('post_2', 'post_1') rather than it being a dictionary? The JSON will be decoded on an iPhone using SBJSON and the JSON will have to be made into an array in the backend.
Thanks in advanced.
Provide a non-associative array to json_encode(). The easiest way is usually to simply call array_values() on the (associative) array, and encode the result.
Take a look at PHP's json_decode function, specifically the 2nd parameter if you want an array.

PHP: array('function' => 'theme_select_as_checkboxes')

what does this construct mean in PHP ? It is storing a variable called "function" with his String value in an array ?
array('function' => 'theme_select_as_checkboxes')
thanks
its just an associative array and unless some context is given, doesnt mean anything special!
Seems like declaring an associative array. With sucha an array, you can retrieve the content of the array this way :
$myArray = array('function' => 'theme_select_as_checkboxes');
echo $myArray['function']; // Prints 'theme_select_as_checkboxes
No magic in here ! ;)
Appears to be a function/method name that can be called at a later time. Other than the data, it looks to be just a standard array.
You may be interested in this question as well: How to call PHP function from string stored in a Variable.
this is not a special structure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associative_array http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art31316.asp

Problem with json_encode()

i have an simple array:
array
0 => string 'Kum' (length=3)
1 => string 'Kumpel' (length=6)
when I encode the array using json_encode(), i get following:
["Kum","Kumpel"]
My question is, what is the reason to get ["Kum","Kumpel"] instead of { "0" : "Kum", "1" : "Kumpel" }?
"{}" brackets specify an object and "[]" are used for arrays according to JSON specification. Arrays don't have enumeration, if you look at it from memory allocation perspective. It's just data followed by more data, objects from other hand have properties with names and the data is assigned to the properties, therefore to encode such object you must also pass the correct property names. But for array you don't need to specify the indexes, because they always will be 0..n, where n is the length of the array - 1, the only thing that matters is the order of data.
$array = array("a","b","c");
json_encode($array); // ["a","b","c"]
json_encode($array, JSON_FORCE_OBJECT); // {"0":"a", "1":"b","2":"c"}
The reason why JSON_FORCE_OBJECT foces it to use "0,1,2" is because to assign data to obeject you must assign it to a property, since no property names are given by developer (only the data) the encoder uses array indexes as property names, because those are the only names which would make sense.
Note: according to PHP manual the options parameters are only available from PHP 5.3.
For older PHP versions refer to chelmertz's answer for a way to make json_encode to use indexes.
As Gumbo said, on the JS-side it won't matter. To force PHP into it, try this:
$a = new stdClass();
$a->{0} = "Kum";
$a->{1} = "Kumpel";
echo json_encode($a);
Not that usable, I'd stick with the array notation.
Just cast as an object and it will work fine...the JSON_FORCE_OBJECT parameter does exactly the same thing.
json_encode((object)$array);
Don't forget to convert it back into a php array so you can access its values in php:
$array = (object)$array;
$array = (array)$array;
json_encode($array);
Since you’re having a PHP array with just numeric keys, there is no need to use a JavaScript object. But if you need one, try Maiku Mori’s suggestion.
I personally think this is a bug that needs to be fixed in PHP. JSON_FORCE_OBJECT is absolutely not an answer. If you try to do any sort of generic programming you get tripped up constantly. For example, the following is valid PHP:
array("0" => array(0,1,2,3), "1" => array(4,5,6,7));
And should be converted to
{"0": [0,1,2,3], "1": [4,5,6,7]}
Yet PHP expects me to either accept
[[0,1,2,3],[4,5,6,7]]
or
{"0":{"0":1,"1":1,"2":2,"3":3},"1":{"0":4,"1":5,"2":6,"3":7}}
Neither of which are right at all. How can I possibly decode an object like that? What possible reason is there to ever change something that is clearly using strings as indexes? It's like PHP was trying to be clever to help out idiotic people who can't differentiate strings from ints, but in the process messed up anyone legitimately using strings as indexes, regardless of what the value COULD be turned into.

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