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up vote 1 down vote favorite

So I have a php array like this:

$myArray = array(
'name' => 'Series Name',
'data' => array(
    array("2012-11-13",0.71),
    array("2012-11-14",0.45),
    array("2012-11-15",0.65),
    array("2012-11-16",0.67),
    )
);

I would like to output this array in json_encoded form with the array keys as object names(?). When I echo json_encode the array I get this:

{
    "name": "Series Name",
    "data": [
        [
            "2012-11-13",
            0.71
        ],
        [
            "2012-11-14",
            0.45
        ],
        [
            "2012-11-15",
            0.65
        ],
        [
            "2012-11-16",
            0.67
        ]
    ]
}

The trouble with this is that the array keys ("name" and "data") are output as strings. I need them to be objects. I.e. without the quotes around them.

EDIT: The purpose is this is to build and use a php array with highcharts. As can be seen in the source of this chart the data is passed in that way:

$(function () {
        $('#container').highcharts({
            chart: {
                type: 'spline'
            },
            title: {
                text: 'Snow depth in the Vikjafjellet mountain, Norway'
            },
            subtitle: {
                text: 'An example of irregular time data in Highcharts JS'
            },
            xAxis: {
                type: 'datetime',
                dateTimeLabelFormats: { // don't display the dummy year
                    month: '%e. %b',
                    year: '%b'
                }
            },
            yAxis: {
                title: {
                    text: 'Snow depth (m)'
                },
                min: 0
            },
            tooltip: {
                formatter: function() {
                        return '<b>'+ this.series.name +'</b><br/>'+
                        Highcharts.dateFormat('%e. %b', this.x) +': '+ this.y +' m';
                }
            },

            series: [{
                name: 'Winter 2007-2008',
                // Define the data points. All series have a dummy year
                // of 1970/71 in order to be compared on the same x axis. Note
                // that in JavaScript, months start at 0 for January, 1 for February etc.
                data: [
                    [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 27), 0   ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 10), 0.6 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 18), 0.7 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  2), 0.8 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  9), 0.6 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 16), 0.6 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 28), 0.67],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  1), 0.81],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  8), 0.78],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 12), 0.98],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 27), 1.84],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 10), 1.80],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 18), 1.80],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 24), 1.92],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2,  4), 2.49],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 11), 2.79],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 15), 2.73],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 25), 2.61],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  2), 2.76],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  6), 2.82],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 13), 2.8 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4,  3), 2.1 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 26), 1.1 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  5,  9), 0.25],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  5, 12), 0   ]
                ]
            }, {
                name: 'Winter 2008-2009',
                data: [
                    [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 18), 0   ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 26), 0.2 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  1), 0.47],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 11), 0.55],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 25), 1.38],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  8), 1.38],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 15), 1.38],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  1), 1.38],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  8), 1.48],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 21), 1.5 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 12), 1.89],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 25), 2.0 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  4), 1.94],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  9), 1.91],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 13), 1.75],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 19), 1.6 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 25), 0.6 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 31), 0.35],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  5,  7), 0   ]
                ]
            }, {
                name: 'Winter 2009-2010',
                data: [
                    [Date.UTC(1970,  9,  9), 0   ],
                    [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 14), 0.15],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 28), 0.35],
                    [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 12), 0.46],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  1), 0.59],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 24), 0.58],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  1), 0.62],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  7), 0.65],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 23), 0.77],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2,  8), 0.77],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 14), 0.79],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 24), 0.86],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  4), 0.8 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 18), 0.94],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 24), 0.9 ],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 16), 0.39],
                    [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 21), 0   ]
                ]
            }]
        });
    });

Is this json or another way of forming javascript objects?

share|improve this question
2  
Then it will create invalid JSON. –  Yogesh Suthar May 8 '13 at 11:01
    
So what is it that the keys are suddenly objects if you do not quote them? Also in your example array, they are key values in string .. how do you magically plan to convert it into an object? –  dbf May 8 '13 at 11:19
    
I don't know if I have used the correct wording. My aim is to form code in the same structure as required by highcharts, which I think is a js object for a series of a chart. –  harryg May 8 '13 at 11:22
    
Can you post the "structure" - it would be easier to try and work out what you mean by looking at the segment of code you are trying to apply the JSON object in. –  Emissary May 8 '13 at 11:28
1  
The Highcharts example you've linked does not use JSON at all. It's JavaScript code, possibly using the jQuery library. JSON is not JavaScript, it's not even a programming language. –  Álvaro G. Vicario May 8 '13 at 14:22

2 Answers 2

up vote -1 down vote

Use stdClass. 

$obj = new stdClass();

$obj->name = "Series Name";
$obj->data = array(
    array("2012-11-13",0.71),
    array("2012-11-14",0.45),
    array("2012-11-15",0.65),
    array("2012-11-16",0.67),
    );

echo json_encode($obj);

If you don't know what stdClass is, please, look at this topic

EDIT: In order for JSON to produce valid code, all the key/value pairs, except for numeric ones, must be inside quotes

share|improve this answer
    
Unfortunatey that doesn't seem to work. The keys are still in quotes. –  harryg May 8 '13 at 11:08
2  
@harryg Of course they are! And they need to be to produce a valid JSON object. Only numeric items can appear without quotation. json.org –  João Dias May 8 '13 at 11:11
    
Associative array and objects will result in the same json syntax –  micha149 May 8 '13 at 12:18
    
@micha149 I know that, however, objects, in my opinion, produce a prettier and far more understandable code for json_encode to use. Nevertheless, I answered the question in the comments –  João Dias May 8 '13 at 14:08
up vote 1 down vote

Assuming you want to use JSON object in client side, for browsers support JSON.parse(); you can parse your JSON string by using JavaScript:

obj = JSON.parse(json);

Which json is your JSON string passed from server (result of json_encode($array); in your PHP file), However for browser compatibility, you can use jQuery:

obj = $.parseJSON(json);
share|improve this answer

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