"JSON text must be an object or array" error

Question

I'm using PHP to connect to an API and register some info using JSON and HTTP POST but it is not going well.

That is what I do:

1. I create a JSON object with the json_encode function:

   $name = 'Mike';
   
   $surname = 'Hans';
   
   $fields = array('name' => json_encode($name), 'surname' => json_encode($surname));
   $postData = json_encode($flds);
   

2. Once i have the post data, I just connect to the API with curl and login with oauth, but the API responde says:

JSON text must be an object or array (but found number, string, true, false or null, use allow_nonref to allow this)

I have checked the allow_nonref in Google, but i could not find anything for PHP, all I have found is for Perl. Does anyone have any solution/advice to solve this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

To follow up on @nickb's answer, please only use one call to json_encode, it's far better at constructing valid json that you and I are, and it's more efficient to boot! (though we are entering the realm of micro-optimisation).

Have you tried taking the output of the json_encode and putting it into a validator/formatter such as the one here : http://jsonviewer.stack.hu/

Also, I think another likely problem could be the headers you are sending? The recieiving server could be strict and enforce that you use the correct 'Content-Type'. Are there any API docs avaliable?

Answer 2

You probably need to send the entire POST as JSON without nesting calls to json_encode, like this:

$fields = array('name' => $name, 'surname' => $surname); 
$postData = json_encode( $fields);