PHP not allowing me to access decoded JSON - php

Question

I make a JSON call using an API and get the following, which seems to be correctly formatted JSON:
{
"pagination": {},
"meta": {
"code": 200
},
"data": [
{
"tags": [],
"location": {
"latitude": 37.42833,
"name": "Stanford University",
"longitude": -122.1668,
"id": 10138861
},
"comments": {
"count": 0,
"data": []
},
"filter": "Rise",
"created_time": "1331327429",
"link": "http://instagr.am/p/H91ykZpqUW/",
"likes": {
"count": 3,
"data": [
{
"username": "razzles39",
"profile_picture": "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_14316422_75sq_1322705511.jpg",
"id": "14316422",
"full_name": "razzles39"
},
{
"username": "mscaliti",
"profile_picture": "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_10827166_75sq_1330704753.jpg",
"id": "10827166",
"full_name": "mscaliti"
},
{
"username": "mariecox",
"profile_picture": "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_3987147_75sq_1324863102.jpg",
"id": "3987147",
"full_name": "Marie Cox"
}
]
},
"images": {
"low_resolution": {
"url": "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_6.jpg",
"width": 306,
"height": 306
},
"thumbnail": {
"url": "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_5.jpg",
"width": 150,
"height": 150
},
"standard_resolution": {
"url": "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg",
"width": 612,
"height": 612
}
},
"caption": {
"created_time": "1331327500",
"text": "Chillin with Brady at Stanford",
"from": {
"username": "nicolelainefox",
"profile_picture": "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/anonymousUser.jpg",
"id": "17982472",
"full_name": "nicolelainefox"
},
"id": "143507936292283648"
},
"type": "image",
"id": "143507334669706518_17982472",
"user": {
"username": "nicolelainefox",
"website": "",
"bio": "",
"profile_picture": "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/anonymousUser.jpg",
"full_name": "nicolelainefox",
"id": "17982472"
}
}
]
}
I then use json_decode in my PHP script to make it something I can manipulate, and this is the output of var_dump
object(stdClass)#1 (3) { ["pagination"]=> object(stdClass)#2 (0) { } ["meta"]=> object(stdClass)#3 (1) { ["code"]=> int(200) } ["data"]=> array(1) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#4 (12) { ["tags"]=> array(0) { } ["location"]=> object(stdClass)#5 (4) { ["latitude"]=> float(37.42833) ["name"]=> string(19) "Stanford University" ["longitude"]=> float(-122.1668) ["id"]=> int(10138861) } ["comments"]=> object(stdClass)#6 (2) { ["count"]=> int(0) ["data"]=> array(0) { } } ["filter"]=> string(4) "Rise" ["created_time"]=> string(10) "1331327429" ["link"]=> string(31) "http://instagr.am/p/H91ykZpqUW/" ["likes"]=> object(stdClass)#7 (2) { ["count"]=> int(3) ["data"]=> array(3) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#8 (4) { ["username"]=> string(9) "razzles39" ["profile_picture"]=> string(73) "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_14316422_75sq_1322705511.jpg" ["id"]=> string(8) "14316422" ["full_name"]=> string(9) "razzles39" } [1]=> object(stdClass)#9 (4) { ["username"]=> string(8) "mscaliti" ["profile_picture"]=> string(73) "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_10827166_75sq_1330704753.jpg" ["id"]=> string(8) "10827166" ["full_name"]=> string(8) "mscaliti" } [2]=> object(stdClass)#10 (4) { ["username"]=> string(8) "mariecox" ["profile_picture"]=> string(72) "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/profile_3987147_75sq_1324863102.jpg" ["id"]=> string(7) "3987147" ["full_name"]=> string(9) "Marie Cox" } } } ["images"]=> object(stdClass)#11 (3) { ["low_resolution"]=> object(stdClass)#12 (3) { ["url"]=> string(79) "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_6.jpg" ["width"]=> int(306) ["height"]=> int(306) } ["thumbnail"]=> object(stdClass)#13 (3) { ["url"]=> string(79) "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_5.jpg" ["width"]=> int(150) ["height"]=> int(150) } ["standard_resolution"]=> object(stdClass)#14 (3) { ["url"]=> string(79) "http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/4c6f97c46a2c11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg" ["width"]=> int(612) ["height"]=> int(612) } } ["caption"]=> object(stdClass)#15 (4) { ["created_time"]=> string(10) "1331327500" ["text"]=> string(30) "Chillin with Brady at Stanford" ["from"]=> object(stdClass)#16 (4) { ["username"]=> string(14) "nicolelainefox" ["profile_picture"]=> string(54) "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/anonymousUser.jpg" ["id"]=> string(8) "17982472" ["full_name"]=> string(14) "nicolelainefox" } ["id"]=> string(18) "143507936292283648" } ["type"]=> string(5) "image" ["id"]=> string(27) "143507334669706518_17982472" ["user"]=> object(stdClass)#17 (6) { ["username"]=> string(14) "nicolelainefox" ["website"]=> string(0) "" ["bio"]=> string(0) "" ["profile_picture"]=> string(54) "http://images.instagram.com/profiles/anonymousUser.jpg" ["full_name"]=> string(14) "nicolelainefox" ["id"]=> string(8) "17982472" } } } }
However, when I use echo($instagram_data["data"]); everything crashes. How do I access the 'data' array in this associative array? Here's the whole code:
$instagram_handler = fopen("https://api.instagram.com/v1/locations/10138861/media/recent/?client_id=MY_ID", "r");
$instagram_json = stream_get_contents($instagram_handler);
fclose($instagram_handler);
$instagram_data = json_decode($instagram_json);
echo($instagram_data["data"]); //Breaks page

Answer 1

the JSON is read as an object, not an associative array. load it like so and you'll be good:
$instagram_data = json_decode($instagram_json, TRUE);
alternatively, loading it like you do currently, run:
echo $instagram_data->data

Answer 2

Note the assoc param of json_decode function. If you omit it decode treats JSON as an object rather than an array. So you should be able access it with:
$instagram_data->data;
Other option is to decode as array as following:
$instagram_data = json_decode($instagram_json, TRUE);