[php] How to convert an array into an object using stdClass()

I have made the following array:

$clasa = array(
        'e1' => array('nume' => 'Nitu', 'prenume' => 'Andrei', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 23),
        'e2' => array('nume' => 'Nae', 'prenume' => 'Ionel', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 27),
        'e3' => array('nume' => 'Noman', 'prenume' => 'Alice', 'sex' => 'f', 'varsta' => 22),
        'e4' => array('nume' => 'Geangos', 'prenume' => 'Bogdan', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 23),
        'e5' => array('nume' => 'Vasile', 'prenume' => 'Mihai', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 25)
);

I would like to know how to convert this array into an object using stdClass(), I'm a PHP beginner, a simple example would be very helpful, I've tried searching for similar questions, but the answers are complicated and go beyond my understanding of basic classes and objects.

This question is related to php arrays stdclass

The answer is


use this Tutorial

<?php
function objectToArray($d) {
        if (is_object($d)) {
            // Gets the properties of the given object
            // with get_object_vars function
            $d = get_object_vars($d);
        }

        if (is_array($d)) {
            /*
            * Return array converted to object
            * Using __FUNCTION__ (Magic constant)
            * for recursive call
            */
            return array_map(__FUNCTION__, $d);
        }
        else {
            // Return array
            return $d;
        }
    }

    function arrayToObject($d) {
        if (is_array($d)) {
            /*
            * Return array converted to object
            * Using __FUNCTION__ (Magic constant)
            * for recursive call
            */
            return (object) array_map(__FUNCTION__, $d);
        }
        else {
            // Return object
            return $d;
        }
    }

        // Create new stdClass Object
    $init = new stdClass;

    // Add some test data
    $init->foo = "Test data";
    $init->bar = new stdClass;
    $init->bar->baaz = "Testing";
    $init->bar->fooz = new stdClass;
    $init->bar->fooz->baz = "Testing again";
    $init->foox = "Just test";

    // Convert array to object and then object back to array
    $array = objectToArray($init);
    $object = arrayToObject($array);

    // Print objects and array
    print_r($init);
    echo "\n";
    print_r($array);
    echo "\n";
    print_r($object);


//OUTPUT
    stdClass Object
(
    [foo] => Test data
    [bar] => stdClass Object
        (
            [baaz] => Testing
            [fooz] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [baz] => Testing again
                )

        )

    [foox] => Just test
)

Array
(
    [foo] => Test data
    [bar] => Array
        (
            [baaz] => Testing
            [fooz] => Array
                (
                    [baz] => Testing again
                )

        )

    [foox] => Just test
)

stdClass Object
(
    [foo] => Test data
    [bar] => stdClass Object
        (
            [baaz] => Testing
            [fooz] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [baz] => Testing again
                )

        )

    [foox] => Just test
)

The quick and dirty way is using json_encode and json_decode which will turn the entire array (including sub elements) into an object.

$clasa = json_decode(json_encode($clasa)); //Turn it into an object

The same can be used to convert an object into an array. Simply add , true to json_decode to return an associated array:

$clasa = json_decode(json_encode($clasa), true); //Turn it into an array

An alternate way (without being dirty) is simply a recursive function:

function convertToObject($array) {
    $object = new stdClass();
    foreach ($array as $key => $value) {
        if (is_array($value)) {
            $value = convertToObject($value);
        }
        $object->$key = $value;
    }
    return $object;
}

or in full code:

<?php
    function convertToObject($array) {
        $object = new stdClass();
        foreach ($array as $key => $value) {
            if (is_array($value)) {
                $value = convertToObject($value);
            }
            $object->$key = $value;
        }
        return $object;
    }

    $clasa = array(
            'e1' => array('nume' => 'Nitu', 'prenume' => 'Andrei', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 23),
            'e2' => array('nume' => 'Nae', 'prenume' => 'Ionel', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 27),
            'e3' => array('nume' => 'Noman', 'prenume' => 'Alice', 'sex' => 'f', 'varsta' => 22),
            'e4' => array('nume' => 'Geangos', 'prenume' => 'Bogdan', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 23),
            'e5' => array('nume' => 'Vasile', 'prenume' => 'Mihai', 'sex' => 'm', 'varsta' => 25)
    );

    $obj = convertToObject($clasa);
    print_r($obj);
?>

which outputs (note that there's no arrays - only stdClass's):

stdClass Object
(
    [e1] => stdClass Object
        (
            [nume] => Nitu
            [prenume] => Andrei
            [sex] => m
            [varsta] => 23
        )

    [e2] => stdClass Object
        (
            [nume] => Nae
            [prenume] => Ionel
            [sex] => m
            [varsta] => 27
        )

    [e3] => stdClass Object
        (
            [nume] => Noman
            [prenume] => Alice
            [sex] => f
            [varsta] => 22
        )

    [e4] => stdClass Object
        (
            [nume] => Geangos
            [prenume] => Bogdan
            [sex] => m
            [varsta] => 23
        )

    [e5] => stdClass Object
        (
            [nume] => Vasile
            [prenume] => Mihai
            [sex] => m
            [varsta] => 25
        )

)

So you'd refer to it by $obj->e5->nume.

DEMO


One of the easiest solution is

$objectData = (object) $arrayData

Array to stdClass can be done in php this way. (stdClass is already PHP's generic empty class)

$a = stdClass:: __set_state(array());

Actually calling stdClass::__set_state() in PHP 5 will produce a fatal error. thanks @Ozzy for pointing out

This is an example of how you can use __set_state() with a stdClass object in PHP5

class stdClassHelper{

    public static function __set_state(array $array){
        $stdClass = new stdClass();
        foreach ($array as $key => $value){
           $stdClass->$key = $value;
        }
        return $stdClass;
    }
}

$newstd = stdClassHelper::__set_state(array());

Or a nicer way.

$a = (object) array();

If you want to recursively convert the entire array into an Object type (stdClass) then , below is the best method and it's not time-consuming or memory deficient especially when you want to do a recursive (multi-level) conversion compared to writing your own function.

$array_object = json_decode(json_encode($array));

or you can use this thing

$arr = [1,2,3];
$obj = json_decode(json_encode($arr));
print_r($obj);

To convert array to object using stdClass just add (object) to array u declare.

EX:

echo $array['value'];
echo $object->value;

to convert object to array

$obj = (object)$array;

to convert array to object

$arr = (array)$object

with these methods you can swap between array and object very easily.


Another method is to use json

$object = json_decode(json_encode($array), FALSE);

But this is a much more memory intensive way to do and is not supported by versions of PHP <= 5.1