[Solved] Looping through JSON decoded object

[computerbarry]

Hi all

Having a small issue trying to figure out the basics to loop through an object and display some data.

//The $ouput variable holds the JSON below
$output = json_decode($outputDetails);

JSON for viewing:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 1, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 00.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        },
      },
      "name": "Item Name 1",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0000
    },
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 2, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 00.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        },
      },
      "name": "Item Name 2",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0000
    },
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 3, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 00.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        },
      },
      "name": "Item Name 3",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0000
    }
  ]
}

Now when I try and display and loop through this data I keep getting

Notice : Trying to get property of non-object in…

What am I doing wrong?

foreach($output as $item){
  echo $item->results->formatted_address;
  echo "<br>";
  echo $item->results->name;
}

Thanks
Barry

[SamA74]

By default the json_decode() function will return an array, but you appear to be treating the sub-arrays as objects.

To return an object, set the second parameter in the function to true.

$output = json_decode($outputDetails, true);

https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.json-decode.php

[computerbarry]

I have tried both ways still getting the same error?

Something to do with
$item->results->formatted_address;

Do I need something like
$item->results[0]->formatted_address;

Barry

[SamA74]

@computerbarry

I thought it was the other way around,

You’re right, now I read it again.

assoc
When TRUE , returned objects will be converted into associative arrays.

Try var_dump the output to see the types you are dealing with at each level.

[rpkamp]

That should be:

foreach ($output->results as $item){
  echo $item->formatted_address;
  echo "<br>";
  echo $item->name;
}

There are multiple results, and you loop over them.

The way you coded it every item in the JSON (not sure what those would be, there is only a single “results” key) has a “results” key - which is not the case.

Your code would work correctly on this JSON:

[
    {
        "results: {
            "formatted_address": "Foo",
            "name": "Blah"
        }
    },
    {
         "results": {
             "formatted_address": "Foo again",
             "name": "Dunno"
         }
    }
]

[m_hutley]

Actually what you’ll get is NULL because the string as provided is not valid JSON.

I go back to the previous discussion that James_Hibbard and I had on the differences between a Javascript Object, and JSON.

Your dangling commas (at the end of the ‘location’ objects), and numbers with more than 1 0 in front of the decimal point, are invalid JSON. (“00” is not a valid Number. It would work as a string, though!)

Your JSON, properly formatted, is:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 1, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 0.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        }
      },
      "name": "Item Name 1",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0
    },
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 2, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 0.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        }
      },
      "name": "Item Name 2",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0
    },
    {
      "formatted_address": "Address Name 3, United Kingdom",
      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 0.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        }
      },
      "name": "Item Name 3",
      "types": [
        "type1",
        "type2",
        "type3"
      ],
      "user_ratings_total": 0
    }
  ]
}

[computerbarry]

@m_hutley

Your dangling commas (at the end of the ‘location’ objects), and numbers with more than 1 0 in front of the decimal point, are invalid JSON. (“00” is not a valid Number. It would work as a string, though!)

The problem is, the JSON is pulled from an API query and I have no control over the formatting

Actually a google map query if it helps
$outputDetails=file_get_contents('https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/textsearch/json?query=...');

The location was an example and most will be something like, as example:

"lat": 51.5070795,
"lng": -0.0756271

If I can’t change the formatting is there a way to fix it?
You mentioned as a string?

And what about the PHP code/format?

Plus if you can send the link to previous discussion I’ll take a look

Thanks
Barry

[m_hutley]

The previous discussion was James pointing out to me that dangling commas at the end of objects is valid in Javascript objects:

<script>
let f = { "thing":"stuff",} <--valid
</script>

but it is NOT valid as a JSON string. Why? Because Javascript don’t stick to their own standards, was my conclusion. (It’s got something to do with validation.)

Numbers are valid if they conform to standard number formats (floats, for example, are fine, positive or negative, but “00.0000” is not a valid number because it begins with multiple 0’s.), so i wouldnt worry about those.

I would assume google would return a valid JSON string. Check to see whether you’ve introduced these commas:

      "geometry": {
        "location": {
          "lat": 00.0000000,
          "lng": -0.0000000
        },  <-- this one, here.
      }

or if they’re in the original output.

[computerbarry]

@m_hutley

but it is NOT valid as a JSON string. Why? Because Javascript don’t stick to their own standards, was my conclusion. (It’s got something to do with validation.)

Cool
I’m sure I’ve come up against this issue before aswell.

While I check on a couple of things, I am using the below snippet which works ok on a single place when I echo $lat I get the value
$lat = $output->results[0]->geometry->location->lat;

It’s when I need to loop through a big dataset of multiply places I start getting the errors, I thought I was maybe just writing the PHP wrong?

Barry

[m_hutley]

Okay, if you’re able to access elements in the object, then yes, google has spat back a valid JSON, it was just the one that you posted in your original post was invalid
Looping through the set as @rpkamp pointed out in Post 5 should work. If it doesnt, please post an ACTUAL example of a set that failed.

[computerbarry]

@m_hutley

Okay, if you’re able to access elements in the object, then yes, google has spat back a valid JSON, it was just the one that you posted in your original post was invalid

Yes I done a var_dump($output); then pasted this code into a formatter, I think this might of added the comas we see above. I didn’t realise

The var_dump($output); output has no commas at all.

I’ve just tested and updated @rpkamp solution - It works!
I tried before must of changed something

Great - and cheers all!

Barry