Create this JSON output in PHP?

Question

How can I create this JSON output using PHP?

{
 "external_ref": "12345",
 "sale_datetime": "2016-03-01 22:09:00",
 "customer_name": "Foo Bar",
 "shipping_address_1": "123 Test Street",
 "shipping_address_2": "",
 "shipping_address_3": "City",
 "shipping_address_4": "County",
 "shipping_postcode": "AB12 3AB",
 "shipping_country": "England",
 "shipping_country_code": "GB",
 "shipping_method": "STANDARD",
 "phone": "01234567890",
 "items": [
 {
 "external_ref": "12345",
 "style": "mens",
 "size": "Medium",
 "color": "White",
 "print_location": "front",
 "print_x_offset": "0",
 "print_y_offset": "0",
 "quantity": 1,
 "external_url": "url.png",
 "external_thumbnail_url": "url.jpg"
 }
 ]
}

I've tried this myself (below) but it's failing to submit to the API I'm sending it to:

//Initiate cURL.
$ch = curl_init($url);
$item = array(
 array(
 "external_ref" => 12345,
 "style" => "mens",
 "size" => "Medium",
 "color" => "White",
 "print_location" => "FRONT",
 "print_x_offset" => "0",
 "print_y_offset" => "0",
 "quantity" => 1,
 "external_url" => "url.png",
 "external_thumbnail_url" => "url.jpg"
 )
);
//The JSON data.
$jsonData = array(
 "external_ref"=> 12345,
 "sale_datetime" => "2016-03-01 22:09:00",
 "customer_name" => "Foo Bar",
 "shipping_address_1" => "123 Test Street",
 "shipping_address_2" => "",
 "shipping_address_3" => "City",
 "shipping_address_4" => "County",
 "shipping_postcode" => "AB12 3AB",
 "shipping_country" => 'England',
 "shipping_country_code" => "GB",
 "shipping_method" => "STANDARD",
 "phone" => "01234567890",
 "items" => $item
);
//Encode the array into JSON.
$jsonDataEncoded = json_encode($jsonData);
//Tell cURL that we want to send a POST request.
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
//Attach our encoded JSON string to the POST fields.
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $jsonDataEncoded);
//Set the content type to application/json
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array('Content-Type: application/json'));
//Execute the request
$result = curl_exec($ch);

Am I missing something important out here? The first bit of JSON code that at the top of this question does submit correctly. When I try to replicate that JSON with this PHP it doesn't submit.

• Sammitch: What does the JSON you're submitting look like?
• devlin carnate: console.log($jsonDataEncoded) and compare it to your desired output.
• IROEGBU: 3v4l.org/ugIje confirm that this gives exactly the same json as the one you posted. What is the error you are getting, by the way?
• Devon Bessemer: @OliverQueen, no it is a nested array, hence the [ { instead of just {.
• Rohan Khude: there is difference in sale_date_format

Answer 1

I run your code and get:

{
 "external_ref": 12345,
 "sale_datetime": "2016-03-01 22:09:00",
 "customer_name": "Foo Bar",
 "shipping_address_1": "123 Test Street",
 "shipping_address_2": "",
 "shipping_address_3": "City",
 "shipping_address_4": "County",
 "shipping_postcode": "AB12 3AB",
 "shipping_country": "England",
 "shipping_country_code": "GB",
 "shipping_method": "STANDARD",
 "phone": "01234567890",
 "items": [
 {
 "external_ref": 12345,
 "style": "mens",
 "size": "Medium",
 "color": "White",
 "print_location": "FRONT",
 "print_x_offset": "0",
 "print_y_offset": "0",
 "quantity": 1,
 "external_url": "url.png",
 "external_thumbnail_url": "url.jpg"
 }
 ]
}

difference in sale_datetime format:

• 01 Mar 2016 22:09:00 - your desired format
• 2016年03月01日 22:09:00 - php output in this fromat

and external_ref become integer not string

• Rohan Khude: Even 'print_location' in 'items' subarray differs in CASE
• alexander.polomodov: Yes, you are right:) but author explicitly say "print_location" => "FRONT" in his code
• Liam McArthur: I've made all cases such as "front" correct with their code now, but I still get the same error. Is The resource you are looking for has been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable a generic PHP/cURL error? I've never seen it before and they haven't either.
• alexander.polomodov: Can you add output of curl_exec($ch) and curl_error($ch) to your question?

Answer 2

It turned out my url that the request was being submitted to was missing a '?' where I was adding the 'token='. Oops!