Converting json to array with recursive method?

Question

I am trying to convert json string inside an array into array,

$config = array(
    "type"  => '{"category":"admin","page":"page"}',
    "say"     => "Hello",
    "php"   => array(
        "say"     => "no",
        "type"  => '{"category":"admin","page":"page"}',
        "gran"  =>array(
            "name" => "Hi"
        )
    )
);

My working code,

class objectify
{

    public function json_to_array($array, $recursive = true)
    {
        # if $array is not an array, let's make it array with one value of former $array.
        if (!is_array($array)) $array = array($array);

        foreach($array as $key => $value)
        {
            if($recursive === false) $array[$key] = (!empty($value) && is_string($value) && json_decode($value) != NULL) ? json_decode($value, true): $value;
                else $array[$key] = (!empty($value) && is_string($value) && json_decode($value) != NULL) ? json_decode($value, true): is_array($value) ? self::json_to_array($array) : $value;
        }

        return $array;
    }
}

It works fine without recursive method but breaks when I want to do the recursive as you can see in my code above,

$object = new objectify();
$config = $object->json_to_array($config);
print_r($config);

error message,

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 2048 bytes) in C:\wamp\www\test\2012\php\set_variable.php on line 79

I just want to get this result,

Array
(
    [type] => Array
        (
            [category] => admin
            [page] => page
        )
    [say] => Hello
        (
            [say] => no
            [type] => {"category":"admin","page":"page"}
            [gran] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Hi
                )

        )

)

EDIT:

$config = 'type={"category":"admin","page":"page"}&text_editor={"name":"mce-basic"}&parent_id=self&subtitle=true&description=true&content_1=true&script_1=true&primary_image=true';
parse_str($config,$array);
print_r($array);

result,

Array
(
    [type] => {"category":"admin","page":"page"}
    [text_editor] => {"name":"mce-basic"}
    [parent_id] => self
    [subtitle] => true
    [description] => true
    [content_1] => true
    [script_1] => true
    [primary_image] => true
)

Might I inquire as to exactly why you've got partially (and only partially) parsed JSON in your data structure? — Matt Ball
– Matt Ball, Commented May 5, 2012 at 1:00
How did you get an array of JSON strings in the first place? Seems like those should have come in as a JSON array that you could just decode all at once. — Mark Reed
– Mark Reed, Commented May 5, 2012 at 1:04
OK... still don't know why you're passing in query parameters with JSON values instead of just putting a JSON document in the request body. — Mark Reed
– Mark Reed, Commented May 5, 2012 at 1:18

Mark Reed · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-05 02:26:45Z

7

Quick solution:

$full_array = array_map('json_decode', $array);

If not all your parameters are JSON, and you want actual arrays instead of stdClass objects, you may have to do this:

function json_decode_array($input) { 
  $from_json =  json_decode($input, true);  
  return $from_json ? $from_json : $input; 
}
$full_array = array_map('json_decode_array', $array);

If you have more levels of nested arrays outside of the JSON, then you have to do your own recursion. Try this version of objectify:

class objectify
{
  public function json_mapper($value, $recursive = true) {
    if (!empty($value) && is_string($value) &&
        $decoded = json_decode($value, true)) {
      return $decoded;
    } elseif (is_array($value) && $recursive) {
      return array_map('objectify::json_mapper', $value);
    } else {
      return $value;
    }
  }

  // currying, anyone?
  public function json_mapper_norecurse($value) { 
     return objectify::json_mapper($value, false);
  }

  public function json_to_array($array, $recursive = true)
  {
    # if $array is not an array, let's make it array with one value of
    # former $array.
    if (!is_array($array)) {
      $array = array($array);
    }

    return array_map(
      $recursive ? 'objectify::json_mapper' 
                 : 'objectify::json_mapper_norecurse', $array);
  }
}

Which works fine for me on both of your sets of sample data.

edited May 5, 2012 at 2:26

answered May 5, 2012 at 1:21

Mark Reed

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6 Comments

PorridgeBear Over a year ago

These do not work Mark, I just ran both. The JSON string values are converted to empty strings.

Mark Reed Over a year ago

Hm. My result was missing the non-JSON values - fixed in edit above - but otherwise looks right. What's different?

PorridgeBear Over a year ago

Looks good, did not know json_decode was recursive :) Def. the better solution op.

Run Over a year ago

@MarkReed - thanks it works fine but still breaks with the array such as in my OP. I get this error Warning: json_decode() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in C:\wamp\www\test\...

Run Over a year ago

@MarkReed - thanks for the edit. I am sorry to tell you that I get this error Fatal error: Call to undefined function json_mapper() in C:\wamp\www\.. on line 109 which refers to return json_mapper($value, false);. But I get the result I am after...

|

jeroen · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-05 01:48:38Z

2

As far as your code is concerned, it seems you have made a mistake causing it to loop forever (last part of the recursive section):

is_array($value) ? self::json_to_array($array) : $value;

You are feeding the whole array to the recursive function instead of the value that tested to be an array.

Changing it to:

is_array($value) ? self::json_to_array($value) : $value;

Should solve that.

Edit: It seems that the nested ternary condition is causing the problem, if you put braces around the second one, it works:

        else
        {
           $array[$key] = (!empty($value) && is_string($value) && json_decode($value) != NULL)
                               ? json_decode($value, true)
                               : (is_array($value) ? self::json_to_array($value) : $value);
        }

See the working example.

edited May 5, 2012 at 1:48

answered May 5, 2012 at 1:25

jeroen

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8 Comments

Run Over a year ago

thanks but still the same error

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 523800 bytes) in C:\wamp\www\test\2012\php\set_variable.php on line 79

PorridgeBear Over a year ago

Use PHP's built-in functions rather than your own recursion, they are far more performant.

jeroen Over a year ago

@lauthiamkok I can't find the source, but I read somewhere that nested ternary operators can cause unexpected results. Does it change anything if you put brackets around that last section (the one I posted)?

PorridgeBear Over a year ago

I didn't think it was helpful encouraging a poor/misguided approach to the solution.

jeroen Over a year ago

@lauthiamkok It seems the nested ternary was the problem, see my edit.

|

maintenanceVN · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-28 07:38:57Z

2

If you want to convert all json recursively you need to put the second param of json_decode to true

$config_array = json_decode($config, true);

answered Oct 28, 2022 at 7:38

maintenanceVN

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Comments

mickmackusa · Accepted Answer · 2024-01-01 08:10:42Z

To recursively convert json strings to arrays or objects, use the following function which modifies the input array/object by reference, replaces json strings in-place, then finally returns the entire mutated payload.

From PHP8.3, json_validate() makes it easy to determine whether a string is valid json or not. This native function only accepts a string as its first parameter.

My function is designed to dynamically accommodate calls which desire json strings to become objects or arrays based on the second parameter. The default to convert json strings to arrays.

Code: (Demo)

function decode_json_only(array|object &$data, bool $toArray = true)
{
     foreach ($data as &$v) {
        if (is_string($v) && json_validate($v)) {
            $v = json_decode($v, $toArray);
        }
        if (is_array($v) || is_object($v)) {
            $v = (__FUNCTION__)($v, $toArray);
        }
    }
    return $data;
}

var_export(decode_json_only($config));

PorridgeBear · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-05 01:22:43Z

0

Can be done much more easily.

function objectify(& $v, $k) {
    $v_decoded = json_decode($v, true);
    if ($v_decoded) { $v = $v_decoded; }
}

array_walk_recursive($config, 'objectify');
print_r($config);

Array
(
[type] => Array
    (
        [category] => admin
        [page] => page
    )

[say] => Hello
[php] => Array
    (
        [say] => no
        [type] => Array
            (
                [category] => admin
                [page] => page
            )

        [gran] => Array
            (
                [name] => Hi
            )

    )

)

answered May 5, 2012 at 1:22

PorridgeBear

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2 Comments

Mark Reed Over a year ago

You don't need to write your own recursion, though; json_decode is already recursive. So once you get to the JSON, you're good.

Run Over a year ago

@Porridge - thanks it works perfectly. but how can I apply array_walk_recursive($config, 'objectify'); in a class such as the one in my OP?

SMJ · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-14 03:46:35Z

0

If you are using laravel framework and post parameters contain arrays, Use json_decode in array map to decode recursive values.

            $params = array_map('json_decode', $request->all());

answered Nov 14, 2020 at 3:46

SMJ

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Comments

Codemayer · Accepted Answer · 2023-12-31 23:26:47Z

0

function jsonDecodeRecursively(Array &$arr)
{
    foreach($arr as $key => &$val)
    {
        if(is_string($val) && json_decode($val))
        {
            $val = json_decode($val, true);
        }

        if(is_iterable($val))
        {
            jsonDecodeRecursively($val);
        }
    }

    return $arr;
}

This will loop thru the parent array and decode all its sub elements json encoded arrays recusively.

answered Dec 31, 2023 at 23:26

Codemayer

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Comments

Eric Lagarda · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-16 13:28:01Z

-1

Maybe you can use the easy function:

$array = json_decode(json_encode($object), true);

Found here: https://gist.github.com/victorbstan/744478

setTimeout(function () { alert("JavaScript"); }, 1000);

answered Jan 16, 2018 at 13:28

Eric Lagarda

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