Get Value from JSON Array in PHP

How to extract and access data from JSON with PHP?

Intro

First off you have a string. JSON is not an array, an object, or a data structure. JSON is a text-based serialization format - so a fancy string, but still just a string. Decode it in PHP by using json_decode().

 $data = json_decode($json);

Therein you might find:

• scalars: strings, ints, floats, and bools
• nulls (a special type of its own)
• compound types: objects and arrays.

These are the things that can be encoded in JSON. Or more accurately, these are PHP's versions of the things that can be encoded in JSON.

There's nothing special about them. They are not "JSON objects" or "JSON arrays." You've decoded the JSON - you now have basic everyday PHP types.

Objects will be instances of stdClass, a built-in class which is just a generic thing that's not important here.

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Accessing object properties

You access the properties of one of these objects the same way you would for the public non-static properties of any other object, e.g. $object->property.

$json = '
{
    "type": "donut",
    "name": "Cake"
}';

$yummy = json_decode($json);

echo $yummy->type; //donut

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Accessing array elements

You access the elements of one of these arrays the same way you would for any other array, e.g. $array[0].

$json = '
[
    "Glazed",
    "Chocolate with Sprinkles",
    "Maple"
]';

$toppings = json_decode($json);

echo $toppings[1]; //Chocolate with Sprinkles

Iterate over it with foreach.

foreach ($toppings as $topping) {
    echo $topping, "\n";
}

Glazed

Chocolate with Sprinkles

Maple

Or mess about with any of the bazillion built-in array functions.

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Accessing nested items

The properties of objects and the elements of arrays might be more objects and/or arrays - you can simply continue to access their properties and members as usual, e.g. $object->array[0]->etc.

$json = '
{
    "type": "donut",
    "name": "Cake",
    "toppings": [
        { "id": "5002", "type": "Glazed" },
        { "id": "5006", "type": "Chocolate with Sprinkles" },
        { "id": "5004", "type": "Maple" }
    ]
}';

$yummy = json_decode($json);

echo $yummy->toppings[2]->id; //5004

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Passing true as the second argument to json_decode()

When you do this, instead of objects you'll get associative arrays - arrays with strings for keys. Again you access the elements thereof as usual, e.g. $array['key'].

$json = '
{
    "type": "donut",
    "name": "Cake",
    "toppings": [
        { "id": "5002", "type": "Glazed" },
        { "id": "5006", "type": "Chocolate with Sprinkles" },
        { "id": "5004", "type": "Maple" }
    ]
}';

$yummy = json_decode($json, true);

echo $yummy['toppings'][2]['type']; //Maple

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Accessing associative array items

When decoding a JSON object to an associative PHP array, you can iterate both keys and values using the foreach (array_expression as $key => $value) syntax, eg

$json = '
{
    "foo": "foo value",
    "bar": "bar value",
    "baz": "baz value"
}';

$assoc = json_decode($json, true);
foreach ($assoc as $key => $value) {
    echo "The value of key '$key' is '$value'", PHP_EOL;
}

Prints

The value of key 'foo' is 'foo value'

The value of key 'bar' is 'bar value'

The value of key 'baz' is 'baz value'

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Don't know how the data is structured

Read the documentation for whatever it is you're getting the JSON from.

Look at the JSON - where you see curly brackets {} expect an object, where you see square brackets [] expect an array.

Hit the decoded data with a print_r():

$json = '
{
    "type": "donut",
    "name": "Cake",
    "toppings": [
        { "id": "5002", "type": "Glazed" },
        { "id": "5006", "type": "Chocolate with Sprinkles" },
        { "id": "5004", "type": "Maple" }
    ]
}';

$yummy = json_decode($json);

print_r($yummy);

and check the output:

stdClass Object
(
    [type] => donut
    [name] => Cake
    [toppings] => Array
        (
            [0] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [id] => 5002
                    [type] => Glazed
                )

            [1] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [id] => 5006
                    [type] => Chocolate with Sprinkles
                )

            [2] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [id] => 5004
                    [type] => Maple
                )

        )

)

It'll tell you where you have objects, where you have arrays, along with the names and values of their members.

If you can only get so far into it before you get lost - go that far and hit that with print_r():

print_r($yummy->toppings[0]);

stdClass Object
(
    [id] => 5002
    [type] => Glazed
)

Take a look at it in this handy interactive JSON explorer.

Break the problem down into pieces that are easier to wrap your head around.

---

json_decode() returns null

This happens because either:

1. The JSON consists entirely of just that, null.
2. The JSON is invalid - check the result of json_last_error_msg or put it through something like JSONLint.
3. It contains elements nested more than 512 levels deep. This default max depth can be overridden by passing an integer as the third argument to json_decode().

If you need to change the max depth you're probably solving the wrong problem. Find out why you're getting such deeply nested data (e.g. the service you're querying that's generating the JSON has a bug) and get that to not happen.

---

Object property name contains a special character

Sometimes you'll have an object property name that contains something like a hyphen - or at sign @ which can't be used in a literal identifier. Instead you can use a string literal within curly braces to address it.

$json = '{"@attributes":{"answer":42}}';
$thing = json_decode($json);

echo $thing->{'@attributes'}->answer; //42

If you have an integer as property see: How to access object properties with names like integers? as reference.

---

Someone put JSON in your JSON

It's ridiculous but it happens - there's JSON encoded as a string within your JSON. Decode, access the string as usual, decode that, and eventually get to what you need.

$json = '
{
    "type": "donut",
    "name": "Cake",
    "toppings": "[{ \"type\": \"Glazed\" }, { \"type\": \"Maple\" }]"
}';

$yummy = json_decode($json);
$toppings = json_decode($yummy->toppings);

echo $toppings[0]->type; //Glazed

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Data doesn't fit in memory

If your JSON is too large for json_decode() to handle at once things start to get tricky. See:

• Processing large JSON files in PHP
• How to properly iterate through a big json file

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How to sort it

See: Reference: all basic ways to sort arrays and data in PHP.

Get value from JSON array in PHP

First you have to decode your json data

$json = json_decode($data[0]['json']);

Then you can access your AfterParticipationHeader

$json->Canvas[0]->MainObjects->{"After Participation"}->afterParticipationHeader

get data from json array in php

The results key is a true array, not an unordered map (key/value). Additionally, you should be accessing the decoded $data, not the $json string.

This should work for you:

$test = $data['model']['results'][0]['balance'];

This is what should have tipped you off:

{"results":[{"message"
^          ^
|          |
|          \-- Start of an array
|
\-- Start of an object

Get values from JSON array in PHP with the following format?

First of all you have not a json-structure inside the "data" field, but just a string, which contains json data.

Therefore you did it wrong, when convert the data into a constant value. You have to double all backslashes first.

Then you can get the "data" element and perform json_decode once more.

<?php
    $s = '[
  {
    "data": "[{\\"name\\":\\"step 1 kdfhghdkgjdf\\\\nkjdhfgkjhdkjghd\\\\nkdfjhgkjdhfg\\\\n\\\\n\\\\ndfjhgkjdfjhgdfgd\\\\n\\"},{\\"name\\":\\"step 2 dhfgkjdfhkhkjchjkfd\\\\ndkjhjdf\\\\njhkdfhkghdkfhgkdhg\\\\n\\\\n\\\\ndfjhgkjdfhgdfhgkjdhfgkjhdf\\"},{\\"name\\":\\"step 3 kkkkkkkkkk\\"},{\\"name\\":\\"step 4 ljlejrhlflhgf\\\\n\\\\n\\\\ndfhjk\\"}]",
    "status": 1
  }
]';
    $obj = json_decode($s,true);
    $data = json_decode($obj[0]['data'], true);

    foreach($data as $item) {
      print($item['name'] . "\r\n");
    }

PHP JSON Array Get Value

You are missing the ['data'] key,

<?php

$json = '{"status":200,"response_msec":15,"data":{"android":{"test1":15,"test2":6,"test3":15,"test4":101,"test5":87,"test6":8,"test9":119,"test10":101,"test11":107}}}';
$array = json_decode($json, true);
var_dump(array_keys($array['data']['android']));

Check here i have made a php sandbox http://sandbox.onlinephpfunctions.com/code/6f97a9bb499b54919b40d4d12f49049fdd732aef

Also, You can use the function array_keys() to get only the keys of an array, that's what i did.

How to extract data from a json array with php?

First problem the json is not valid. There are few issue. You can validate at following website: http://jsonlint.com/

And the json have two full name. So following code will help to extract those two full names.

$json = 'Assign the json here';
$json_array = json_decode($json);
echo $json_array->result->places[0]->contained_within[0]->full_name;
echo $json_array->result->places[0]->full_name;

• Assign the valid json to the variable $json within single quot (') as json have double quot.

The tested code available here: http://sugunan.net/demo/json1.php

If we take your foreach example it need to be modified like follows. But that is not tested answer.

foreach ($data['places'] as $item) {
echo $item->contained_within[0]->full_name;
echo $item->full_name;
}

Following is the validated json of the above. Which had few unnecessary ",". And it missed few brackets.

{
"query": {
    "params": {
        "accuracy": 0,
        "coordinates": {
            "coordinates": [
                -122.42284884,
                37.76893497
            ],
            "type": "Point"
        },
        "granularity": "neighborhood"
    },
    "type": "reverse_geocode"
},
"result": {
    "places": [
        {
            "attributes": {},
            "bounding_box": {
                "coordinates": [
                    [
                        [
                            -122.42676492,
                            37.75983003
                        ],
                        [
                            -122.420736,
                            37.75983003
                        ],
                        [
                            -122.420736,
                            37.77226299
                        ],
                        [
                            -122.42676492,
                            37.77226299
                        ]
                    ]
                ],
                "type": "Polygon"
            },
            "contained_within": [
                {
                    "attributes": {},
                    "bounding_box": {
                        "coordinates": [
                            [
                                [
                                    -122.51368188,
                                    37.70813196
                                ],
                                [
                                    -122.35845384,
                                    37.70813196
                                ],
                                [
                                    -122.35845384,
                                    37.83245301
                                ],
                                [
                                    -122.51368188,
                                    37.83245301
                                ]
                            ]
                        ],
                        "type": "Polygon"
                    },
                    "country": "United States",
                    "country_code": "US",
                    "full_name": "San Francisco, CA",
                    "id": "5a110d312052166f",
                    "name": "San Francisco",
                    "place_type": "city"
                }
            ],
            "country": "United States",
            "country_code": "US",
            "full_name": "Mission Dolores, San Francisco",
            "id": "cf7afb4ee6011bca",
            "name": "Mission Dolores",
            "place_type": "neighborhood"
        }
    ]
}

}

Get values from JSON array using PHP

You no need to encode your incoming $_POST data.

Just say:

echo $_POST['First_Name'];

If you get a json data, decode it into an array:

$data = '{"First_Name":"Fred"}';
$decoded = json_decode($data, true);
echo $decoded['First_name'];

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