Recognizing JSON Content - php

Question

I have the following data
{
total: "156",
list: [
{
"nodeRef": "workspace://SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"id": "e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"name": "Morning Class_Dadi Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4",
"mimetype": "video/mp4",
"title" : "Morning Class" ,
"author": "Dadi Janki",
"class_date": "May 29, 2012 12:00:00 AM",
"created": "May 29, 2012 12:32:44 PM",
"size": "97,156,420",
"lang": "h",
"totalViews": "11",
"totalDownloads": "0",
"downloadUrl": "/d/a/workspace/SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67/Morning%20Class_Dadi%20Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4"
}
]
}
When I try to var_dump it
It gives me null. How do I know whether the data is JSON encoded or not ?
Edit:
Here's the code
I get the above content by get_contents to the url
$url = ""; // URL
$contents = file_get_contents($url);
$data = json_decode($contents);
var_dump($data);

Answer 1

<?php
$str = '{
total: "156",
list: [
{
"nodeRef": "workspace://SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"id": "e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"name": "Morning Class_Dadi Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4",
"mimetype": "video/mp4",
"title" : "Morning Class" ,
"author": "Dadi Janki",
"class_date": "May 29, 2012 12:00:00 AM",
"created": "May 29, 2012 12:32:44 PM",
"size": "97,156,420",
"lang": "h",
"totalViews": "11",
"totalDownloads": "0",
"downloadUrl": "/d/a/workspace/SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67/Morning%20Class_Dadi%20Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4"
}
]
}
';
$str = preg_replace('#([^\s\"]+): #is', '"\\1": ', $str);
echo $str;
?>

Answer 2

First whenever you will get any json value or you are sending any value in json format first check whether Json is valid or not..
Json validator and formator:-
http://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/
Json validator:-
http://www.jsonlint.org/
Then in Your code try to find error :- json_last_error
And try to use Json encode and Decode for Url values.. that will be helpful always..
Valid Json:-
{
"total":"156",
"list":[
{
"nodeRef":"workspace://SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"id":"e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67",
"name":"Morning Class_Dadi Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4",
"mimetype":"video/mp4",
"title":"Morning Class",
"author":"Dadi Janki",
"class_date":"May 29, 2012 12:00:00 AM",
"created":"May 29, 2012 12:32:44 PM",
"size":"97,156,420",
"lang":"h",
"totalViews":"11",
"totalDownloads":"0",
"downloadUrl":"/d/a/workspace/SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67/Morning%20Class_Dadi%20Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4"
}
]
}
Json:--
{"total":"156","list":[{"nodeRef":"workspace://SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67","id":"e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67","name":"Morning Class_Dadi Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4","mimetype":"video/mp4","title":"Morning Class","author":"Dadi Janki","class_date":"May 29, 2012 12:00:00 AM","created":"May 29, 2012 12:32:44 PM","size":"97,156,420","lang":"h","totalViews":"11","totalDownloads":"0","downloadUrl":"/d/a/workspace/SpacesStore/e364714d-14bc-4e13-bfff-c1f86a8cbe67/Morning%20Class_Dadi%20Janki_29-05-12_H_London.mp4"}]}