Return a JSON array from a Controller in Symfony

Question

I am trying return a JSON response from a controller in Symfony 2. Form example, in Spring MVC I can get a JSON response with @ResponseBody annotattion. I want get a JSON response, no mtter if it is a JSON Array or a Json Object, then, manipulate it with javascript in the view.

I try the next code:

/**
 * @Route(
 * "/drop/getCategory/",
 * name="getCategory"
 * )
 * @Method("GET")
 */
 public function getAllCategoryAction() {
 $categorias = $this->getDoctrine()
 ->getRepository('AppBundle:Categoria')
 ->findAll();
 $response = new JsonResponse();
 $response->setData($categorias);
 $response->headers->set('Content-Type', 'application/json');
 return $response;
 }

But I get [{},{}] as Response in the browser. I try with $response = new Response(json_encode($categorias)); too, but I get the same result.

• Naftali: Did you try 'return new JSONResponse($data);'?
• Juergen Schulze: $categorias is an object. but setData expects an array.

Answer 1

I think the @darkangelo answer need explainations.

The findAll() method return a collection of objects.

$categorias = $this->getDoctrine()
 ->getRepository('AppBundle:Categoria')
 ->findAll();

To build your response, you have to add all getters of your entities to your response like :

$arrayCollection = array();
foreach($categorias as $item) {
 $arrayCollection[] = array(
 'id' => $item->getId(),
 // ... Same for each property you want
 );
}
return new JsonResponse($arrayCollection);

Use QueryBuilder allows you to return results as arrays containing all properties :

$em = $this->getDoctrine()->getManager();
$query = $em->createQuery(
 'SELECT c
 FROM AppBundle:Categoria c'
);
$categorias = $query->getArrayResult();
return new JsonResponse($categorias);

The getArrayResult() avoids need of getters.

Answer 2

You need to do this (based on previous answer):

public function getAllCategoryAction() {
 $em = $this->getDoctrine()->getManager();
 $query = $em->createQuery(
 'SELECT c
 FROM AppBundle:Categoria c'
 );
 $categorias = $query->getArrayResult();
 return new JsonResponse($categorias);
}

It works perfect with any Query that Doctrine returns as array.

• chalasr: You can improve your answer by using JsonResponse instead of Response. This will avoid duplicate uses of json_encode and custom headers.

Answer 3

/**
 * @Route("/api/list", name="list")
 */
public function getList(SerializerInterface $serializer, SomeRepository $repo): JsonResponse
{
 $models = $repo->findAll();
 $data = $serializer->serialize($models, JsonEncoder::FORMAT);
 return new JsonResponse($data, Response::HTTP_OK, [], true);
}

• bcag2: as explain at symfony.com/doc/current/serializer.html add use Symfony\Component\Serializer\SerializerInterface;, I should add also use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\JsonResponse;

Answer 4

Following the best practices, I managed to do it the following way:

public function index(CityRepository $cityRepository,
 SerializerInterface $serializer): Response 

Injecting repository & serializer.

$cities = $cityRepository->findAll();

Retrieving an array of objects.

$data = $serializer->serialize($cities, 'json');

Serializing the data into a JSON string.

return new JsonResponse($data, 200, [], true);

Passing the JSON string to JsonResponse.

• Artur O: I get very ugly object "{\u0022id\u0022:105,\u0022name\u0022:\u00223..." how to fix it ?
• Jan Bodnar: @ArturO The serializer in this example returns a JSON string; check that the JsonResponse has the last parameter set to true.

Answer 5

You need to change your code this way:

/**
 * @Route(
 * "/drop/getCategory/",
 * name="getCategory"
 * )
 * @Method("GET")
 */
public function getAllCategoryAction() {
 $categorias = $this->getDoctrine()
 ->getRepository('AppBundle:Categoria')
 ->findAll();
 $categorias = $this->get('serializer')->serialize($categorias, 'json');
 $response = new Response($categorias);
 $response->headers->set('Content-Type', 'application/json');
 return $response;
}

If the serializer service is not enabled, you have to enable it in app/config/config.yml:

 framework:
 # ...
 serializer:
 enabled: true

For more advanced options for serialization, you can install JMSSerializerBundle

• Giancarlo Ventura Granados: I get a 500 error: You have requested a non-existent service "serializer".
• Alexandru Furculita: You have to enable first the serializer service. In app/config/config.yml add this: framework: # ... serializer: enabled: true
• Giancarlo Ventura Granados: I get the solution: $categorias = $query->getArrayResult(); //$response->headers->set('Content-Type', 'application/json'); //return $response; //return $this->render('AppBundle:Front:test.html.twig', array('otra' => $otra)); return new Response(json_encode($categorias), 200)
• Alexandru Furculita: That's a good solution too. Didn't work using the serializer service? I find to be a better practice to use a serializer

Answer 6

Looks like you are trying to put into response a collection. For that you need to setup serializer (or retrieve data as an array).

Look at this doc pages: http://symfony.com/doc/current/components/http_foundation/introduction.html#creating-a-json-response

and

http://symfony.com/doc/current/cookbook/serializer.html.

Answer 7

I suggest the following solution:

/**
 * @Route(
 * "/drop/getCategory/",
 * name="getCategory"
 * )
 * @Method("GET")
 */
 public function getAllCategoryAction() {
 $em = $this->getDoctrine()->getManager();
 $query = $em->createQuery(
 'SELECT c
 FROM AppBundle:Categoria c'
 );
 $categorias = $query->getArrayResult();
 return new Response(json_encode($categorias), 200);
}

• Cerad: You should probably use newJsonResponse like you did in your question.