PHP doesn't return json decode

Question

I have been trying to fetch some data from steam API which returns JSON such as this:

{"success":true,"lowest_price":"2ドル.76","volume":"345","median_price":"2ドル.60"}

However it does not return anything to the variable which is used somewhere else. It just shows 0.

Here's my JSON code, what am I doing wrong?

$steam1 = "http://steamcommunity.com/market/priceoverview/?currency=1&appid=730&market_hash_name=Chroma%20Case%20Key";
$json = file_get_contents($steam1);
$json_data = json_decode($json, true);
$median1= $json_data["median_price"];
$media1 = $median1 / '2.49';

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

• RiggsFolly: Why would you think dividing by a string would be a good idea?
• Barmar: The price begins with $ so it can't be parsed as a number. You need to remove the $ first.
• Barmar: Why do you think the problem is with json_decode? Did you try var_dump($json_data)?

Answer 1

json_decode() is working fine. The problem is that you can't do arithmetic when a number begins with $.

You need to remove the $ character at the beginning of the price before you can use it as a number. Otherwise, it will be converted to 0.

$median1 = ltrim($json_data["median_price"], '$');
$media1 = $median1 / 2.49;

• Mehr: Awesome. Thank you very much. Will mark as correct as soon as Im allowed.

Answer 2

=)) I hope you joke!

// It's ok:
$steam1 = "http://steamcommunity.com/market/priceoverview/?currency=1&appid=730&market_hash_name=Chroma%20Case%20Key";
$json = file_get_contents($steam1);
$json_data = json_decode($json, true);
// here you set $median1 = "2ドル.60", yeah, it's string (not float number)
$median1= $json_data["median_price"];
// here you trying to divide one string to another
$media1 = $median1 / '2.49';

It's very interesting way )))

Change last string to:

if (preg_match('/([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+))/', $median1, $matches)) {
 $media1 = round($matches[1] / 2.49, 2);
} else {
 $media1 = 0;
}
echo $media1 . "\n";

Good luck!

• RiggsFolly: Wow, Big hammer - Little nut
• Leonid Zakharov: I don't know the site steamcommunity.com, but if there are all prices in ,ドル you can use ltrim($median1, '$') / 2.49. In my version scripts try to find any int or float value from string $median1.
• RiggsFolly: I was not complaining. Looks bullet proof

Answer 3

There is a dollar in the $json_data["median_price"] so that must be removed before you can use the field in any arithmetic.

Also you need to use a number as a divisor and not a string.

This works

<?php
$steam1 = "http://steamcommunity.com/market/priceoverview/?currency=1&appid=730&market_hash_name=Chroma%20Case%20Key";
$json = file_get_contents($steam1);
$json_data = json_decode($json, true);
$median1= $json_data["median_price"];
$median1 = substr($median1,0,1) == '$' ? substr($median1,1) : $median1; //remove the $
$media1 = $median1 / 2.49;
echo $media1;