How to json encode a single object as a json objects array using PHP

Question

For two objects:

 {"publications":[{"nom":"toto","id":"2029","userid":"22","publication":"bla bla bla","time":"2017-02-20 00:00:00","avatar":{}},{"nom":"xxxx","id":"2027","userid":"31","publication":"kjdsfkuds","time":"2017-02-20 00:00:00","avatar":{}}]}

For One object:

 {"publications":{"nom":"xxxx","id":"2027","userid":"31","publication":"kjdsfkuds","time":"2017-02-20 00:00:00","avatar":{}}}

i want to have always a json array as a return no matter how the number of objects.

PHP Code:

 $result = $conn->query($sql);
 $json = new SimpleXMLElement('<xml/>');
 if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
 while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
 $mydata = $json->addChild('publications');
 $mydata->addChild('nom',$row['nom']);
 $mydata->addChild('id',$row['id']);
 $mydata->addChild('userid',$row['userid']);
 /*echo(utf8_encode($row['publication']));*/
 $mydata->addChild('publication',utf8_encode($row['publication']));
 $mydata->addChild('time',$row['time']);
 $mydata->addChild('avatar',$row['avatar']);
 }
 echo( json_encode ($json));
 } else {
 echo "0";
 }

• u_mulder: Get rid of Simplexml and use plain arrays.

Answer 1

Well you are not using XML for anything else but convert it to JSON, so there is no need for XML. Use array

$result = $conn->query($sql);
$json = ['publications' => []];
if($result->num_rows > 0)
{
 while($row = $result->fetch_assoc())
 {
 $json['publications'][] = [
 'nom' => $row['nom'],
 'id' => $row['id'],
 'userid' => $row['userid'],
 'publication' => $row['publication'],
 'time' => $row['time'],
 'avatar' => $row['avatar']
 ];
 }
 echo json_encode($json);
}
else
{
 echo "0";
}

Answer 2

It's a particluar behaviour of SimpleXML.

If you have one child in xml - you will have an object in json, if you have more than one child - you will get array of objects. So, I advise you to rewrite your code using simple arrays instead of xml-approach:

$result = $conn->query($sql);
$json = []; // just array
if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
 while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
 // add new item
 $json[] = $row; 
 // or more specifically
 $json[] = [
 'nom' => $row['nom'],
 'id' => $row['id'],
 // more fields that you need
 ]; 
 }
}
echo json_encode(['publications' => $json]);