How to encode JSON object from an array in php?

Question

My code looks like:

if ( $query->have_posts() ) {
 $j = 1; 
 while ( $query->have_posts() ) {
 $query->the_post();
 $bcData[] = array(
 'title'=>get_the_title(),
 );
$j++;
 }
echo json_encode($bcData);
} else {
 // no posts found
}

$bcData array outputs(using print_r ):

Array ( 
 [0] => Array ( [title] => Pink Nail Shop 9 ) 
 [1] => Array ( [title] => Pink Nail Shop 8 ) 
)

When I encode this array to json (using json_encode), the newly created json looks like:

[{"title":"Pink Nail Shop 9"},{"title":"Pink Nail Shop 8"}]

While I need json like this:

[{"shop":{"title":"Pink Nail Shop 9"}},{"shop":{"title":"Pink Nail Shop 8"}}]

Hopefully this makes sense, as I've tried hard to articulate what I am trying to accomplish.

Thanks!

• mario: You need to nest your appended arrays then in another one with "shop"=> as key.
• elclanrs: Why would you expect that output if your PHP data structure doesn't match?
• Imran Subhani: I need to use it with some JavaScript plugin where I need same structure.

Answer 1

if ( $query->have_posts() )
{
 $bcData = array();
 $j = 1; 
 while ( $query->have_posts() )
 {
 $query->the_post();
 $bcData[] = array(
 'shop' => array(
 'title'=>get_the_title()
 )
 );
 $j++;
 }
 echo json_encode($bcData);
} else {
 // no posts found
}

• Imran Subhani: It outputs only: [{"shop":{"title":"Pink Nail Shop 9"}}] its inside a loop.
• Imran Subhani: btw answer from miguelcaires is correct and it works like I want.
• DJafari: @Imran are you testing my code ? my code result is : [{"shop":{"title":"Test 0"}},{"shop":{"title":"Test 1"}},{"shop":{"title":"Test 2"}}] your problem is another
• DJafari: @Imran You're welcome, if your problem exist yet, edit your question, and add complete your source code
• Imran Subhani: let us continue this discussion in chat

Answer 2

Have you tried:

$bcData['shop'][] = array(
 'title'=>get_the_title(),
);
echo json_encode($bcData);

• Sven: And have you? The index "shop" is at the wrong spot in your code.