How to decode a JSON string in PHP?

Question

I have a JSON string that looks something like this:

{\"addresses\":{\"address\":[{\"@array\":\"true\",\"@id\":\"888888\",\"@uri\":\"xyz\",\"household\":{\"@         


        

Answer 1

json_decode($jsonData) returns an object btw, not an array.

For example:

stdClass Object
(
    [addresses] => stdClass Object
        (
            [address] => Array
                (
                    [0] => stdClass Object
                        (
                            [@array] => true
                            [@id] => 888888
                            [@uri] => xyz
                            [household] => stdClass Object
                                (
                                    [@id] => 44444
                                    [@uri] => xyz
                                )

                            [person] => stdClass Object
                                (
                                    [@id] => 
                                    [@uri] => 
                                )

                            [addressType] => stdClass Object
                                (
                                    [@id] => 1
                                    [@uri] => xyz
                                    [name] => Primary
                                )

                            [address1] => xyz
                            [address2] => 
                            [address3] => 
                            [city] => xyz
                            [postalCode] => 111111
                        )

                )

        )

)

Ways to access data:

$object = json_decode($jsonString);
$object->addresses->address[0]; // First address object
$object->addresses->address[0]->{"@array"}; // Not good way to access object property (damn @)
$object->addresses->address[0]->address1;
$object->addresses->address[0]->addressType->{"@id"}; // Again damn @

Answer 2

Note that those "@array" and "@id" fields are invalid JSON notation, and technically they lead to unspecified behavior in JSON parsers.

Answer 3

Why not decode the whole JSON string and then get what you need?

$address = '{"addresses":{"address":[{"@array":"true","@id":"888888","@uri":"xyz","household":{"@id":"44444","@uri":"xyz"},"person":{"@id":"","@uri":""},"addressType":{"@id":"1","@uri":"xyz","name":"Primary"},"address1":"xyz","address2":null,"address3":null,"city":"xyz","postalCode":"111111"}]}}';
$results = json_decode($address, true);
$address = $results['addresses']['address'][0];
print $address['address1'];
print $address['address2'];
print $address['postalCode'];