How to properly count json contents?

Question

This is my json

[
    {"id":"1736375","first_name":"fname1","force_first_name":"ffname1","last_name":"lname1","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607011","first_name":"fname2","force_first_name":"ffname2","last_name":"lname2","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607012","first_name":"fname3","force_first_name":"ffname3","last_name":"lname3","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"}
]

I am trying to count the number of sets inside [ ]

I tried using this

echo count(json_decode($people, true));

I get zero (0) result.

How can I properly count it.

Thanks

=== EDIT FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE VIEWER ===

it is the json that is malformed as stated by several comments, the code i wrote above is how I see it but the real content of the json was this

string(3)"
[
    {"id":"1736375","first_name":"fname1","force_first_name":"ffname1","last_name":"lname1","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607011","first_name":"fname2","force_first_name":"ffname2","last_name":"lname2","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607012","first_name":"fname3","force_first_name":"ffname3","last_name":"lname3","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"}
]"

as pointed out by @dontpanic, a string will always return 1 which is what I get. I reported the problem to the developer and luckily they corrected the json response and now it is working OK.

Thanks to all who made an effort to comment leading to the discovery of the problem.

Try witought json_decode because it seems to me that you have an array with json encoded items — ka_lin, Jan 15 '16 at 20:15
I used your code and got 3. Are you sure `$people` contains the JSON shown in your question? — Don't Panic, Jan 15 '16 at 20:17
@KA_lin I tried this `count($people);` and get result: 1. i'm expecting 3 — Wayne, Jan 15 '16 at 20:21
@Don'tPanic I use var_dump($people); and it display all the results so I think that is the correct variable. though I have to admit i remove some part of the dump. actual dump starts with `string(xxxx) "` where xxxx is number but not the number im looking for. — Wayne, Jan 15 '16 at 20:26
do a var_dump of people, seems like it's different than it looks like here!? — Jeff, Jan 15 '16 at 20:26
@Don'tPanic I noticed one thing. When I use `count($people);` result is 1 when I use `count(json_decode($people, true));` I get zero. Does this mean anything? — Wayne, Jan 15 '16 at 21:22
Not really, unfortunately. Using count on a string always returns 1. — Don't Panic, Jan 15 '16 at 22:38

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 15 '16 at 20:28

Using this exact code I get the desired output of 3, as well as the other comments above. I'd recommend debugging the $people variable to ensure that it is remaining a json object all the way through until your echo statement, as it is quite possible it is either being malformed or changed all together, therefore giving you unexpected results.

<?php
$people = <<<EOD
[
    {"id":"1736375","first_name":"fname1","force_first_name":"ffname1","last_name":"lname1","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607011","first_name":"fname2","force_first_name":"ffname2","last_name":"lname2","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"},
    {"id":"1607012","first_name":"fname3","force_first_name":"ffname3","last_name":"lname3","thumb_path":"","path":"img\/profiles\/generic\/gray.png"}
]
EOD;

echo count(json_decode($people, true));

Here is the actual result I uploaded on a test server. http://pebz.starpixel.net/json/count.php $people = $breeze->url("json url"); echo count(json_decode($people, true)); echo ''; var_dump($people); — Wayne, Jan 15 '16 at 20:36
ooppss.. sorry. seems like cant post code in comments. im trying to paste the code i use and the url of the output — Wayne, Jan 15 '16 at 20:39

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 16 '16 at 00:06

0

Try:

echo count(json_decode(stripslashes($people), true));

edited Jan 16 '16 at 00:06

Michał Perłakowski

88,409
26
156
177

answered Jan 15 '16 at 20:45

J J

93
6

How to properly count json contents?

2 Answers2