Whole php array into variable... Or something similar - php

Question

First time Ive posted on here..
So Im new to php, mysql and JSON, and Im having some issues, I may just be approaching the problem in the incorrect way, so let me know what you think.
Basically there's a website that I'm trying to do that has some info located on another server, I fetch that info with JSON.
Here is the code:
//Start of JSON Main Content Fetch + Main Content Render
//JSON send_recv of menu array. Assign results to $main_content_b_render
$main_content_fetch=send_recv("menu", array("id" => "17", "fetchContent" => TRUE));
//Renders menu from JSON results.
function render_main_content($main_content_fetch)
{
//Start of processing $menu_result
$main_content_b_render = $main_content_fetch['content'];
print_r($main_content_fetch);
}
render_main_content($main_content_fetch['results']);
?>
What I can actually get from the other server is the following:
Array ( [id] => 17 [name] => Accessories [reference] => [content] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [type] => Heading1 [content] => BLAH BLAH BLAH TXT TXT TXT [scope] => DetailAndThumb [active] => 1 [reference] => [name] => accblurb ) [1] => Array ( [type] => Image [align] => Left [image] => http://URL.../image/43/webcontent/accshop11.jpg [thumb] => http://URL....com.au/image/thumb/100x100/43/webcontent/accshop11.jpg [scope] => DetailAndThumb [active] => 1 [reference] => [name] => accshop1.jpg ) ) )
I can assign the array values to a variable but it will only assign the first ones, so for example:
if i put this in the function and echo it out
$id = $main_content_fetch['content'];
echo $id;
all I get back is 'Array', what I actually want is the 'BLAH BLAH BLAH TXT TXT TXT' thats located later in the returned info, we actually everything thats located in the last set of brackets...
( [type] => Heading1 [content] => BLAH BLAH BLAH TXT TXT TXT [scope] => DetailAndThumb [active] => 1 [reference] => [name] => accblurb ) [1] => Array ( [type] => Image [align] => Left [image] => http://URL.../image/43/webcontent/accshop11.jpg [thumb] => http://URL....com.au/image/thumb/100x100/43/webcontent/accshop11.jpg [scope] => DetailAndThumb [active] => 1 [reference] => [name] => accshop1.jpg )
What I want to do is to be able to assign basically everything I get back to a variable, as it is. because I think Ill be able to pick what I want out easily enough.. and I don't know of any other way to do it :/
Sorry if its a bit vague, Not very good at explaining myself, but I hope someone can workout what I'm talking about and help.

Answer 1

This is your function. I just replaced print_r with return
function render_main_content($main_content_fetch)
{
//Start of processing $menu_result
$main_content_b_render = $main_content_fetch['content'];
return $main_content_fetch;
}
lets say you call this function like this. Now you can assign the array in individual variable this way
$data = render_main_content($parameter);
$id = $data['id'];
$name = $data['name'];
......
Hope this helps you. All you need is assign array variable with index to the variable you wish.

Answer 2

sorry, just figured out you have nested array, why not access the required item by $main_content_fetch["content"][0]["content"]?
Anyway by print_r($arr, TRUE) you can print the actual items and see the structure of the array you're dealing .
If I understood you correctly, in order to get the BLA BLA BLA text your code should look like this:
//Start of JSON Main Content Fetch + Main Content Render
//JSON send_recv of menu array. Assign results to $main_content_b_render
$main_content_fetch=send_recv("menu", array("id" => "17", "fetchContent" => TRUE));
//Renders menu from JSON results.
function render_main_content($main_content_fetch)
{
//Start of processing $menu_result
$main_content_b_render = $main_content_fetch['content'];
//return the second level "content"
return $main_content_b_render[0]['content'];
}
$content = render_main_content($main_content_fetch['results']);
print $content;
?>

Answer 3

You can use something like
foreach (array_expression as $key => $value ) {
// TODO - probably need a recursive version
$$key = $value;
}
When traversing the array, that statement allows you to create new variables in the code.
But, as a rule, you should never rely on the format of the output you get from the other server. My recommendation would be to explicitly extract the information you need from the input, rather just taking it as is and importing it in.
So for example, you would do
$id = input['id'];
You can then check if everything got assigned properly and catch any errors.

Answer 4

You can use below php code solve this issue
$value) { $$key = $value; }
//or....
foreach($user as $key=>$value) { ${$key} = $value; }
?>

Answer 5

First use print_r($arr, TRUE) to print your array when debugging, that will help you a lot :-) (don't forget the TRUE flag!).
You can access any item in the array as you did, but it looks like you're printing $main_content_fetch instead of $main_content_b_render?