Reindex an array to prevent gapped numeric keys after calling json_encode() [duplicate]

Question

Given this array:

When convert to JSON using the code:

$items=array_unique($items,SORT_REGULAR);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode($items);

The output is:

[
    {
        "item_id": "53",
        "item_name": "MRA Restaurant",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Markhiya",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "MRA Restaurant 01.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    {
        "item_id": "1",
        "item_name": "MRA Restaurant Bakery & Sweets",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Al Ghanim",
        "item_description": "Great Kerala-style food and lunch buffet.",
        "item_comments_count": "5",
        "item_likes_count": "7",
        "item_image_file": "MRA Restaurant Bakery & Sweets.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    {
        "item_id": "1486",
        "item_name": "Al Amrah Palace Cafeteria",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Al Doha Al Jadeeda",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Al Amrah Palace Cafeteria.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    {
        "item_id": "402",
        "item_name": "Al Hamra",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Musheireb",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Al Hamra.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    {
        "item_id": "2902",
        "item_name": "Al Meera Fereej Bin Omran",
        "category_name": "malls & hypermarkets",
        "location_name": "Doha",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Al Meera Fereej Bin Omran.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    {
        "item_id": "1150",
        "item_name": "Al Omraa Patisserie & Sweets",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Markhiya",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Al Omraa Patisserie & Sweets.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    }
]

This is working fine, but in the following array:

When encoded, the output is:

{
    "0": {
        "item_id": "2",
        "item_name": "Aalishan",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Al Muntazah",
        "item_description": "Authentic North Indian dishes at reasonable prices.",
        "item_comments_count": "1",
        "item_likes_count": "6",
        "item_image_file": "aalishan-al-muntazah 03.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "1": {
        "item_id": "403",
        "item_name": "Aalishan",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Westbay",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": "2",
        "item_image_file": "Abdul Khader Alhallab sweets.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "4": {
        "item_id": "3307",
        "item_name": "Faalin baby shop",
        "category_name": "brands & Fashions",
        "location_name": "Al Mirqab Al Jadeed  Doha",
        "item_description": "Exclusive kids showroom",
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "4045_2015_09_16_07_26_53.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "5": {
        "item_id": "844",
        "item_name": "Jaal Broasted Chicken",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Fereej Bin Mahmoud",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Jaal Broasted Chicken.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "6": {
        "item_id": "1140",
        "item_name": "Jaal Cafeteria",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Muaither",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Jaal Cafeteria.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "7": {
        "item_id": "627",
        "item_name": "Jaal Restaurant",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Musheireb",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "Jaal Restaurant.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    },
    "8": {
        "item_id": "1422",
        "item_name": "Jaal Restaurant",
        "category_name": "Restaurants",
        "location_name": "Muaither",
        "item_description": null,
        "item_comments_count": "0",
        "item_likes_count": null,
        "item_image_file": "3716_2015_05_29_10_15_50.jpg",
        "item_image_location": "/images/item/"
    }
}

What is the issue behind this encoding of same type array but different output?

Looks like the first one is a normal array and the second is an associative array. They look the same when printed out in PHP but I bet the code that creates them is different — naomi
– naomi, Commented Oct 20, 2015 at 14:57
The array that gives you faulty output has missing indices. It goes from 1 to 4 and skips 2 and 3. That is why the JSON parser dismisses it as a regular array and starts treating it as an associative array. — klaar
– klaar, Commented Oct 20, 2015 at 14:57

AbraCadaver · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-20 15:20:57Z

3

The array that gives you faulty output has missing indices. It goes from 1 to 4 and skips 2 and 3. That is why the JSON parser dismisses it as a regular array and starts treating it as an associative array.

This is due to array_unique preserving the keys and not re-indexing. array_values() will re-index the array for you:

echo json_encode(array_values($items));

edited Oct 20, 2015 at 15:20

AbraCadaver

79.2k7 gold badges75 silver badges91 bronze badges

answered Oct 20, 2015 at 15:10

klaar

6316 silver badges18 bronze badges

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