How to convert a PHP array to JSON

Table Of Contents

• Introduction
• Convert PHP array to JSON
• Convert JSON data to a PHP array
• Conclusion
  • Create a php object
  • Convert php object to json
  • Convert json string to php object

Introduction

In PHP coding, the need for data conversion to JSON format arises frequently, whether for saving data in files like log files, transmitting within a POST request to an external API, or for validating data format through JSON string printing. This comprehensive guide empowers you with essential know-how to effortlessly convert PHP arrays to JSON.

Convert PHP array to JSON

To convert a php array to json, we utilise the json_encode() function which is an inbuilt PHP function.

        
          $car = ["name" => 'bmw', "year" => '2028', 'country' => 'baskon'];
          $cars_json = json_encode($car);
          echo $cars_json;
        
      

The above code prints a Json string containing the array elements in json format as shown below.

      
        {"name":"bmw","year":"2028","country":"baskon"}
      
    

Convert JSON array to a PHP array

We can also convert the json data to a php array using the json_decode() function.

        
          json_cars = '["jeep", "ford", "benz", "bmw"]';
          $cars_array = json_decode($json_cars);
          var_dump($cars_array); // array(4) {[0]=>string(4) "jeep"[1]=>string(4) "ford"[2]=>string(4) "benz"[3]=>string(3) "bmw"}
        
      

Conclusion

Different PHP data types, including arrays, objects, and strings, can be seamlessly converted to and from JSON format using the json_encode() and json_decode() functions, respectively. For instance, let's delve into the process of converting a standard PHP object to and from JSON format.

Create a php object.

Here we are going to define a class and create an object using that class

        
        class Car {
          public $name;
          public $year;
          public $price;
          
          public function __construct($name, $year, $price){
              $this->name = $name;
              $this->year = $year;
              $this->price = $price;
          }
       }
      $jeep = new Car('jeep', '2020', 80000);
        
      

Convert php object to json

Now lets convert the $jeep object from the above snippet to JSON.

        
          $json_jeep = json_encode($jeep);
          echo $json_jeep; // {"name":"jeep","year":"2020","price":80000}
        
      

Convert json to a standard php object

Now lets convert the json data from the above snippet back to a php object

        
          $std_jeep = json_decode($json_jeep);
          echo ($std_jeep->price); // 80000
        
      

Thanks and best wishes.