How to Encode Arrays with Non-Consecutive Numeric Keys as Arrays in JSON?

Encoding Arrays with Numeric Keys as Arrays

When encoding an array using json_encode(), an array with consecutive numeric keys will be serialized as an array in JSON. However, when the keys are non-consecutive, the resulting JSON string becomes an object with the keys replaced by strings representing their original values.

Solution: Using array_values()

To resolve this issue and obtain an array in JSON, we can leverage the array_values() function in PHP. It removes the original array keys and replaces them with zero-based consecutive numbers.

Example:

// Array with non-consecutive numeric keys
$array = [
    2 => ['Afghanistan', 32, 13],
    4 => ['Albania', 32, 12]
];

// Remove original keys using array_values()
$output = array_values($array);

// Encode the modified array as JSON
$json = json_encode($output);

// Result:
// [[Afghanistan, 32, 13], [Albania, 32, 12]]

By utilizing array_values(), we preserve the original values and structure of the array while ensuring it is serialized as an array in JSON.

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