Converting SQL Query Results to JSON in PHP

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Some of the content was synthetically produced using various Generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools; so, there may be inaccuracies or misleading information present in the video. Please consider this before relying on the content to make any decisions or take any actions etc. If you still have any concerns, please feel free to write them in a comment. Thank you.
---

Summary: Learn how to seamlessly transform SQL query results into JSON format using PHP. Explore practical examples and step-by-step guidance for efficient data manipulation in your web applications.
---

In web development, the need to convert SQL query results to JSON format is quite common. This conversion is essential when you want to send data from your server to a client-side application in a format that can be easily processed. PHP provides convenient methods for achieving this transformation. In this guide, we will explore how to convert SQL query results to JSON in PHP with practical examples.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the examples, make sure you have a working knowledge of PHP and have a database connection set up. We'll assume you have a basic understanding of SQL queries and are familiar with the JSON data format.

Example 1: Using json_encode()

The json_encode() function in PHP is a straightforward way to convert a PHP array into a JSON string. To demonstrate this, let's assume we have a simple SQL query that retrieves user information from a hypothetical users table:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Example 2: Custom JSON Formatting

Sometimes, you may need more control over the JSON structure. In such cases, you can manually build an array and then encode it to JSON. Here's an example where we want to include a custom key in the JSON output:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

These examples provide a foundation for converting SQL query results to JSON in PHP. Depending on your specific requirements, you may need to tailor the code accordingly. Whether you prefer the simplicity of json_encode() or the flexibility of custom array creation, PHP offers versatile options for handling SQL query results in a JSON-friendly manner.