How to convert string response into JSON object?

Question

I'm calling a third party api using curl from a php function. I'm getting a response in JSON format (datatype is string). I want convert that response to an object or array. I have tried json_decode(), but I'm getting null. If I display response in browser and copy paste that string response in PHP variable, I get the value. So I can't figure out what the problem is.

Here is my code:

$fullUrl = 'http://example.com/api/assignment/1';
$data = AesCtr::encrypt($data, 'My Key', 256);
$curl = curl_init($fullUrl);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, false);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'POST');
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, ['data' => $data]);
$curl_response = curl_exec($curl);
$curl_response = json_decode($curl_response);
echo '<pre>';
print_r($curl_response);

Here is response:

{"identifier":"id", "items":[{"apiResult":"INVALID", "apiResultMessage":"Invalid controls. the field 'resource' is mandatory the field 'type of item' is mandatory the field 'element id' is mandatory the field 'resource' is mandatory", "id":"", "idProject":"", "nameProject":"", "refType":"", "refId":"", "idResource":"", "nameResource":"", "idRole":"", "nameRole":"", "comment":"", "assignedWork":"", "realWork":"", "leftWork":"", "plannedWork":"", "rate":"", "realStartDate":"", "realEndDate":"", "plannedStartDate":"", "plannedEndDate":"", "dailyCost":"", "newDailyCost":"", "assignedCost":"", "realCost":"", "leftCost":"", "plannedCost":"", "idle":"", "billedWork":""}] }

I also have tried this

$curl_response = str_replace("'", "\'", $curl_response);
$curl_response = json_decode($curl_response);

JSON string seems valid, json-parser.com/a7826645 try to check the JSON decoding error message using json_last_error_msg() — Alok Patel
– Alok Patel, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 11:27
Please don't randomly boldface parts of your question, it makes it much harder to read. — T.J. Crowder
– T.J. Crowder, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 11:30
@AlokPatel, I know that the JSON is valid. But my question is that then why I can't decode it? — Akshay Vaghasiya
– Akshay Vaghasiya, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 11:35
@Anant, Yes, that is the response. But remember that it is in string datatype. Here it looks like object because I have copy/paste from browser. — Akshay Vaghasiya
– Akshay Vaghasiya, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 11:37

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:00:56Z

3

Try this:-

$curl_response = curl_exec($curl);

function escapeJsonString($value) { 
    $escapers = array("\'");
    $replacements = array("\\/");
    $result = str_replace($escapers, $replacements, $value);
    return $result;
}



$curl_response = escapeJsonString($curl_response);

$curl_response = json_decode($curl_response,true);

echo '<pre>';print_r($curl_response);

echo $error = json_last_error();

Reference taken:- http://www.pontikis.net/tip/?id=5

The link you found useful is:- https://stackoverflow.com/a/20845642/4248328

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:00

CommunityBot

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answered Sep 9, 2016 at 12:09

Death-is-the-real-truth

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1 Comment

Akshay Vaghasiya Over a year ago

problem solved. I got solution from here. See comment the most common part.

Max M. · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-09 12:13:18Z

1

Try add second param "assoc" for getting array to json_decode function:

$curl_response = json_decode($curl_response, true);

Hope it'll help.

edited Sep 9, 2016 at 12:13

answered Sep 9, 2016 at 11:47

Max M.

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