How to flatten array for json output php

Question

I'm pretty much self teaching myself to code and having a little play with creating a scraper app. I have an array I'm using in an json api but I need to flatten the structure so I can easily consume it elsewhere.

I'm really struggling to fathom out what I need to do here. I've read a load of other questions which are similar requests, but the array formats never match my format so I don't actually know how to tackle this.

This is the current array structure

{
    "result": [
        {
            "Boot buddy": {
                "id": "2",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boot-Buddy-fastest-simplest-footwear/dp/B014UPAHO4?pd_rd_wg=lVVK6&pd_rd_r=bf1ba871-fb59-4c66-a146-e94dde7c8e6d&pd_rd_w=gWC2F&ref_=pd_gw_ri&pf_rd_r=W68MX1TXFDDJ8Q8Z08CP&pf_rd_p=cecd4520-32f6-5499-ae19-cd4e83816acd",
                "name": "Boot buddy",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            },
            "Amazon echo": {
                "id": "1",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CH6JKW3/ref=gw_uk_desk_h1_aucc_cp_mp?pf_rd_p=e4e5a2e6-ddbd-473a-a5fb-e8cc09a11f88&pf_rd_r=1MN25BRXY8YDQ4TBK4X6",
                "name": "Amazon echo",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            }
        }
    ]
}

I want to achieve this

{
    "result": [
        {
            "id": "2",
            "groupno": "1",
            "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boot-Buddy-fastest-simplest-footwear/dp/B014UPAHO4?pd_rd_wg=lVVK6&pd_rd_r=bf1ba871-fb59-4c66-a146-e94dde7c8e6d&pd_rd_w=gWC2F&ref_=pd_gw_ri&pf_rd_r=W68MX1TXFDDJ8Q8Z08CP&pf_rd_p=cecd4520-32f6-5499-ae19-cd4e83816acd",
            "name": "Boot buddy",
            "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
            "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
        },
        {
            "id": "1",
            "groupno": "1",
            "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CH6JKW3/ref=gw_uk_desk_h1_aucc_cp_mp?pf_rd_p=e4e5a2e6-ddbd-473a-a5fb-e8cc09a11f88&pf_rd_r=1MN25BRXY8YDQ4TBK4X6",
            "name": "Amazon echo",
            "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
            "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
        }
    ]
}

This is the code I'm using to generate the array which then gets converted into json for use in the api. I'm iterating over a previous call to the database to merge duplicate records together but keep the unique date and price data. So maybe there's a way to change this code to get the output I'm after?

    $records=array();
    $records[result]=array();
    foreach ($products_arr[records] as $key => $value) {
        $hash = $value['name'];
        if(isset($result[$hash])){
            $result[$hash]['date'] .= ",{$value['date']}";
            $result[$hash]['price'] .= ",{$value['price']}";

        }else{
            $result[$hash] = $value;
        }
    }
    array_push($records[result], $result);

Any help appreciated!!

$yourArray['result'] = array_values($yourArray['result'])? — Dharman
– Dharman ♦, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 19:56
What error? What did you try? I cannot see your screen, remember? — Dharman
– Dharman ♦, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 20:09
I'm using postman to consume the api and it kicks out this error which is actually relating to http response code for some reason, but it only occurs when I add the above line. This is the error... Parse error: syntax error, unexpected 'http_response_code' (T_STRING) in C:\xampp\htdocs\api\product\read-merged.php on line 79 — Chris
– Chris, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 20:10

Casimir et Hippolyte · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-21 20:36:14Z

2

Like that:

$json=<<<'EOD'
{
    "result": [
        {
            "Boot buddy": {
                "id": "2",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boot-Buddy-fastest-simplest-footwear/dp/B014UPAHO4?pd_rd_wg=lVVK6&pd_rd_r=bf1ba871-fb59-4c66-a146-e94dde7c8e6d&pd_rd_w=gWC2F&ref_=pd_gw_ri&pf_rd_r=W68MX1TXFDDJ8Q8Z08CP&pf_rd_p=cecd4520-32f6-5499-ae19-cd4e83816acd",
                "name": "Boot buddy",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            },
            "Amazon echo": {
                "id": "1",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CH6JKW3/ref=gw_uk_desk_h1_aucc_cp_mp?pf_rd_p=e4e5a2e6-ddbd-473a-a5fb-e8cc09a11f88&pf_rd_r=1MN25BRXY8YDQ4TBK4X6",
                "name": "Amazon echo",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            }
        }
    ]
}
EOD;

$arr = json_decode($json, true);
$arr['result'] = array_values($arr['result'][0]);
$result = json_encode($arr);

In the orginal JSON string, the first level of the result key is an array with a single indexed item that gives once decoded to a multidimensionnal array the index 0. To turn all keys contained at this level to indexes, you only need to use the array_values PHP function.

edited Apr 21, 2019 at 20:36

answered Apr 21, 2019 at 20:15

Casimir et Hippolyte

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7 Comments

Chris Over a year ago

Sorry this is pretty much what @dharman suggest above, but it didn't change the output at all

Casimir et Hippolyte Over a year ago

@Chris: no it's not what dharman suggested above. Read carefully and see the demo: 3v4l.org/CCgYF

Casimir et Hippolyte Over a year ago

@Chris: if you don't accept my answer I will go to war against all Chris of the world.

Chris Over a year ago

Yeah your right that really is working! The problem is I'm struggling to use it to solve my problem. The data I'm working with isn't converted to json format until the end of the document, its in an array. I was trying to swap out $arr for the actual name of the array. Hold on I'll post up the code I'm using to format the data.

Casimir et Hippolyte Over a year ago

@Chris: If you need to go more in depth in your explanations, please edit your question.

|

Danish Hakim Khan · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-21 21:42:44Z

This should work

$json = '{
    "result": [
        {
            "Boot buddy": {
                "id": "2",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boot-Buddy-fastest-simplest-footwear/dp/B014UPAHO4?pd_rd_wg=lVVK6&pd_rd_r=bf1ba871-fb59-4c66-a146-e94dde7c8e6d&pd_rd_w=gWC2F&ref_=pd_gw_ri&pf_rd_r=W68MX1TXFDDJ8Q8Z08CP&pf_rd_p=cecd4520-32f6-5499-ae19-cd4e83816acd",
                "name": "Boot buddy",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            },
            "Amazon echo": {
                "id": "1",
                "groupno": "1",
                "urlsource": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CH6JKW3/ref=gw_uk_desk_h1_aucc_cp_mp?pf_rd_p=e4e5a2e6-ddbd-473a-a5fb-e8cc09a11f88&pf_rd_r=1MN25BRXY8YDQ4TBK4X6",
                "name": "Amazon echo",
                "date": "2019-04-14 16:00:29.595,2019-04-14 21:50:31.362,2019-04-14 21:54:11.184",
                "price": "£14.99,£14.99,£14.99"
            }
        }
    ]
}';

$arr = (array) json_decode($json)->result[0];
foreach($arr as $data){
  $newArr['result'][] = $data;
}
echo json_encode($newArr);

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