How to create nested Json array from associative array in PHP

Question

I’m setting up a file browser and want to parse JSON array to get folder hierarchy, but not able to make the structure I want in JSON array from the associative array.

This is the two associative array which I am fetched from the database.

$directory  = Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [dir_name] => Car [dir_id] => car ) [1] => stdClass Object ( [dir_name] => Bus [dir_id] => bus ) )

$subdirectory = Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [sub_name] => Toyota [sub_id] => toyota [dir_id] => car) [1] => stdClass Object ( [sub_name] => Volvo [sub_id] => volvo [dir_id] => bus) )

I am tried like this

$parentdirectory = [];
$parentfolder = [];
$subf = [];
$subfolder = [];

foreach ($directory  as $dir) {
  $parentdirectory['id'] = $dir->id;
  $parentdirectory['value'] = $dir->name;
  foreach (subdirectory as $sub) {
    if ($dir->dir_id == $sub->dir_id) {
      $subfolder['id'] = $sub->sub_id;
      $subfolder['value'] = $sub->sub_name;
      array_push($subf, $subfolder);
      array_push($parentdirectory, $subf);
    }
  }
  array_push($parentfolder, $parentdirectory);
}

echo json_encode($parentfolder);

Actually, I want JSON array like this

[
    {
        id: "car",
        value: "Car",
        data: [{
            id: "toyota",
            value: "Toyota"
        }]
    },
    {
        id: "bus",
        value: "Bus",
        data: [{
            id: "volvo",
            value: "Volvo"
        }]
    }
]

sandbox.onlinephpfunctions.com/code/…

splash58
– splash58

2019-07-11 09:51:33 +00:00
Commented Jul 11, 2019 at 9:51 — splash58
– splash58, Commented Jul 11, 2019 at 9:51

ascsoftw · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-12 04:36:59Z

1

Your foreach loop inside foreach loop is inefficient. First create the data array by looping through $subdirectory and then loop through the $directory to get the actual format.

$dataArray = array();
$parentfolder = array();

foreach( $subdirectory as $sub ) {
    $dirName = $sub->dir_id;
    if( !isset( $dataArray[$dirName] ) ) {
        $dataArray[$dirName] = array();
    }
    $dataArray[$dirName][] = array('id' => $sub->sub_id, 'value' => $sub->sub_name);
}

foreach ($directory  as $dir ) {
    $dirName = $dir->dir_id;
    if( isset ( $dataArray[$dirName] ) ) {
        $data = $dataArray[$dirName];
    } else {
        $data = array();
    }
    $parentfolder[] = array('id' => $dir->dir_id, 'value' => $dir->dir_name, 'data' => $data);
}

echo json_encode($parentfolder);

edited Jul 12, 2019 at 4:36

answered Jul 11, 2019 at 10:00

ascsoftw

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7 Comments

stevin Over a year ago

Thanks, working fine. how i will add one more child like array $childdirectory = Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [child_name] => ABC1 [child_id] => abc1 [sub_id] => toyota [dir_id] => car) [1] => stdClass Object ( [child_name] => ABC2 [child_id] =>abc2 [sub_id] => volvo [dir_id] => bus) )

ascsoftw Over a year ago

You will need to loop through this $childdirectory array like the same way you are looping through $subdirectory array.

stevin Over a year ago

when am adding one more value in directory folder without adding any child, not getting correctly eg: $directory = Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [dir_name] => Car [dir_id] => car ) [1] => stdClass Object ( [dir_name] => Bus [dir_id] => bus ) [2] => stdClass Object ( [dir_name] => Truck [dir_id] => truck))

ascsoftw Over a year ago

Updated the answer to handle above case.

stevin Over a year ago

like this only getting, adding parent without any child it's not showing the parent value. The new parent added 'Truck' not showing in result [ { id: "car", value: "Car", data: [{ id: "toyota", value: "Toyota" }] }, { id: "bus", value: "Bus", data: [{ id: "volvo", value: "Volvo" }] } ]

|

dexter · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-11 09:56:53Z

0

I think you should set data as an array first, like this:

$parentfolder= array();
    foreach ($directory  as $dir) {
        $row_array = array();
        $row_array["id"] = $dir[id];
        $row_array["data"] = array();
            foreach (subdirectory as $sub) {
                if ($dir["id"] == $sub["dir_id"]) {
                    $row_array["data"][] = array(
                        //and so on..
                    );
                }
            }
        array_push($parentfolder, $row_array);
    }

answered Jul 11, 2019 at 9:56

dexter

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2 Comments

stevin Over a year ago

Thanks for your answer, but i tried like this. I am getting this way : [ { id: "car", value: "Car", data: [{ car: "toyota", Car: "Toyota" }] }, { id: "bus", value: "Bus", data: [{ bus: "volvo", Bus: "Volvo" }] } ]

stevin Over a year ago

Inside second foreach am done like this: foreach ($subdirectory as $sub) { if ($dir->id == $sub->dir_id) { $row_array['data'][] = array( $row_array['id'] => $sub->sub_id, $row_array['value'] => $sub->sub_name ); } }

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