Pro PHP- Patterns, Frameworks, Testing and More

(^248) CHAPTER 16 ■ ADVANCED ZEND FRAMEWORK

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Using JSON with PHP

The Zend_Json class provides a simple encoder/decoder mechanism to convert variables

between JSON and PHP. This component is fairly self-explanatory and is demonstrated in the

context of a JSON action in Listing 16-12.

Listing 16-12. Using Zend_Json

public function jsonAction() {

$this->getHelper('ViewRenderer')->setNoRender();

//Simulate a JSON input value

$jsonInput = '[0,1,2,3]';

//Decode JSON to a PHP array

$phpArray = Zend_Json::decode($jsonInput);

//Do a PHP operation

shuffle($phpArray);

//Encode the data for output

$jsonOutput = Zend_Json::encode($phpArray);

//Get the response object and set content type HTTP header

$response = $this->getResponse();

$response->setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');

//Make sure the JSON is the only output data

$response->clearBody();

//Set the response body to the JSON code

$response->setBody($jsonOutput);

}

Normal operation of a JSON decode in PHP is to turn JSON objects into associative arrays.

Since this is not always desirable, the Zend Framework provides an alternative decode syntax;

$phpObject = Zend_Json::decode('{"x":1}', Zend_Json::TYPE_OBJECT);

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