How to return array of json object - PHP

Question

I have some some data that I need to send to frontend as array of json objects, it basicly should have same structure as this json:

[{"vin":"U5YFF24128L064909","0":"U5YFF24128L064909","case_id":"1462538","1":"1462538","claimnumber":"E140039698","2":"E140039698","platenumber":"5M47465","3":"5M47465","axrmrs_id":"2051707","4":"2051707","insurer_memberid":"MM-O-8AB24F6D-1","5":"MM-O-8AB24F6D-1","country":"CZ","6":"CZ","date_created":"2014-02-10 00:00:00","7":"2014-02-10 00:00:00","totalloss":"N","8":"N","lastcalc_manufacturer_code":"28","9":"28","lastcalc_model_code":"25","10":"25","lastcalc_submodel_code":"07","11":"07","audavin_triggered":"","12":"","accident_date":"2014-02-02 00:00:00","13":"2014-02-02 00:00:00","registration_date":"2008-04-28 00:00:00","14":"2008-04-28 00:00:00","manufacturing_year":"2008","15":"2008","spareparts":"26573.4","16":"26573.4","totalcosts":"42187.47","17":"42187.47","laborhours":"7.3","18":"7.3","laborcosts":"3577","19":"3577","calculationdate":"2014-02-22 23:02:00","20":"2014-02-22 23:02:00","paintlabor":"5995","21":"5995","paintmaterial":"6042.07","22":"6042.07","currency":"CZK","23":"CZK","manufacturer":"KIA","24":"KIA","model":"CEED (ED)","25":"CEED (ED)","submodel":"ACTIVE","26":"ACTIVE","orgName":"Global Expert","27":"Global Expert","textL":"BLATN\u00cdK P PLAKOV\u00c1N\u00cd NOV\u00ddCH D\u00cdL\u016e,DVE\u0158E P PLAK POVRCHU,P\u0158-N\u00c1RAZN\u00cdKLAKOV\u00c1N\u00cd NOV\u00ddCH D\u00cdL\u016e","28":"BLATN\u00cdK P PLAKOV\u00c1N\u00cd NOV\u00ddCH D\u00cdL\u016e,DVE\u0158E P PLAK POVRCHU,P\u0158-N\u00c1RAZN\u00cdKLAKOV\u00c1N\u00cd NOV\u00ddCH D\u00cdL\u016e","textE":null,"29":null},{"vin":"U5YFF24128L064909","0":"U5YFF24128L064909","case_id":"1468328","1":"1468328","claimnumber":"5M47465","2":"5M47465","platenumber":"5M47465","3":"5M47465","axrmrs_id":"2037572","4":"2037572","insurer_memberid":"","5":"","country":"CZ","6":"CZ","date_created":"2014-02-13 00:00:00","7":"2014-02-13 00:00:00","totalloss":"","8":"","lastcalc_manufacturer_code":"28","9":"28","lastcalc_model_code":"25","10":"25","lastcalc_submodel_code":"07","11":"07","audavin_triggered":"","12":"","accident_date":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","13":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","registration_date":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","14":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","manufacturing_year":"2008","15":"2008","spareparts":"25319.55","16":"25319.55","totalcosts":"41529.62","17":"41529.62","laborhours":"7.7","18":"7.7","laborcosts":"3850","19":"3850","calculationdate":"2014-02-23 23:02:00","20":"2014-02-23 23:02:00","paintlabor":"5995","21":"5995","paintmaterial":"6042.07","22":"6042.07","currency":"CZK","23":"CZK","manufacturer":"KIA","24":"KIA","model":"CEED (ED)","25":"CEED (ED)","submodel":"ACTIVE","26":"ACTIVE","orgName":"0","27":"0","textL":"BLAT","textE":null,"29":null}]

How I try it:

foreach ( $array ['result'] ['claim'] as $claim )
 {
 $data = array (
 "claimnumber" =>$claim['@attributes']['id'],
 "date_created" =>$claim['country'],
 "country" =>$claim['creation'],
 "currency" =>$claim ['specific']['currency'],
 "insurer_memberid" =>$claim['insurance']['id'],
 "laborcosts" =>$claim ['specific']['partsCost'],
 "model" =>$claim ['specific']['model_name'],
 "orgName" =>$claim['insurance']['name'],
 "paintLabor" =>$claim['specific']['paintmaterial'],
 "totalcosts" =>$claim ['assessment']['damage-value']
 );
 $result = array();
 $result[] = $data;
 $result[] = array_push($result, $this->convertToJson($result));
 }
 echo $result;

But this return just string "Array", is there some nice way how to create API which display array of objects?

Thanks for any advise :)

• danjam: Echo is for strings. I'm a fan of: echo '<pre>' . print_r($result, 1) . '</pre>'; for arrays

Answer 1

Create the array before the loop, add the data within the loop, then json_encode and echo after the loop:

$result = array();
foreach ( $array ['result'] ['claim'] as $claim )
{
 $data = array (
 "claimnumber" =>$claim['@attributes']['id'],
 "date_created" =>$claim['country'],
 "country" =>$claim['creation'],
 "currency" =>$claim ['specific']['currency'],
 "insurer_memberid" =>$claim['insurance']['id'],
 "laborcosts" =>$claim ['specific']['partsCost'],
 "model" =>$claim ['specific']['model_name'],
 "orgName" =>$claim['insurance']['name'],
 "paintLabor" =>$claim['specific']['paintmaterial'],
 "totalcosts" =>$claim ['assessment']['damage-value']
 );
 $result[] = $data;
}
echo json_encode($result);

Answer 2

Basically you reset the $result variable in each loop. Change the code to:

$result = array();
foreach ($array['result']['claim'] as $claim) {
 $result[] = array (
 "claimnumber" => $claim['@attributes']['id'],
 "date_created" => $claim['country'],
 "country" => $claim['creation'],
 "currency" => $claim['specific']['currency'],
 "insurer_memberid" => $claim['insurance']['id'],
 "laborcosts" => $claim['specific']['partsCost'],
 "model" => $claim['specific']['model_name'],
 "orgName" => $claim['insurance']['name'],
 "paintLabor" => $claim['specific']['paintmaterial'],
 "totalcosts" => $claim['assessment']['damage-value']
 );
}
echo json_encode($result);

Answer 3

1. array_push() takes first argument (the array) by reference, you don't need to assign it to $result. So it should be just array_push($result, $this->convertToJson($result));

2. To return json you can use json_encode function

   echo json_encode($result);

Answer 4

Use print_r() method to print $result because $result is a array variable.

 $result = array();
 foreach ( $array ['result'] ['claim'] as $claim )
 {
 $data = array (
 "claimnumber" =>$claim['@attributes']['id'],
 "date_created" =>$claim['country'],
 "country" =>$claim['creation'],
 "currency" =>$claim ['specific']['currency'],
 "insurer_memberid" =>$claim['insurance']['id'],
 "laborcosts" =>$claim ['specific']['partsCost'],
 "model" =>$claim ['specific']['model_name'],
 "orgName" =>$claim['insurance']['name'],
 "paintLabor" =>$claim['specific']['paintmaterial'],
 "totalcosts" =>$claim ['assessment']['damage-value']
 );
 $result[] = $data;
 $result[] = array_push($result, $this->convertToJson($result));
 }
 print_r($result) ;