Why is json_encode adding backslashes?

Question

I've been using json_encode for a long time, and I've not had any problems so far. Now I'm working with a upload script and I try to return some JSON data after file upload.

I have the following code:

print_r($result); // <-- This is an associative array
echo json_encode($result); // <-- this returns valid JSON

This gives me the following results:

// print_r result
Array
(
    [logo_url] => http://mysite.com/uploads/gallery/7f/3b/f65ab8165d_logo.jpeg
    [img_id] => 54
    [feedback] => Array
        (
            [message] => File uploaded
            [success] => 1
        )

)

// Echo result
{"logo_url":"http:\/\/mysite.com\/uploads\/gallery\/7f\/3b\/f65ab8165d_logo.jpeg","img_id":"54","feedback":{"message":"File uploaded","success":true}}

Can anyone tell me why json_encode adds slashes?

update

@Quentin said that something is happening between json_encode and .parseJSON and he's right.

Doing a alert(data.toSource()); gives me the dollowing result:

({response:"{\"logo_url\":\"http:\\/\\/storelocator.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/gallery\\/7f\\/3b\\/71b9520cfc91a90afbdbbfc9d2b2239b_logo.jpeg\",\"img_id\":\"62\",\"feedback\":{\"message\":\"File uploaded\",\"success\":true}}", status:200})

And this is not valid JSON. It also adds the status:200 and I have no idea where this comes from.

Could it be that the Plupload bind does something to my returned data?

This is my js script:

  uploader.bind('FileUploaded', function(up, file, data) {
    alert(data.toSource());
    $('#' + file.id + " b").html("100%");
  });

Answer 1

Just use the "JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES" Option (added after version 5.4).

json_encode($array,JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES);

Answer 2

I just came across this issue in some of my scripts too, and it seemed to be happening because I was applying json_encode to an array wrapped inside another array which was also json encoded. It's easy to do if you have multiple foreach loops in a script that creates the data. Always apply json_encode at the end.

Here is what was happening. If you do:

$data[] = json_encode(['test' => 'one', 'test' => '2']);
$data[] = json_encode(['test' => 'two', 'test' => 'four']);
echo json_encode($data);

The result is:

["{\"test\":\"2\"}","{\"test\":\"four\"}"]

So, what you actually need to do is:

$data[] = ['test' => 'one', 'test' => '2'];
$data[] = ['test' => 'two', 'test' => 'four'];
echo json_encode($data);

And this will return

[{"test":"2"},{"test":"four"}]

Answer 3

This happens because the JSON format uses ""(Quotes) and anything in between these quotes is useful information (either key or the data).

Suppose your data was : He said "This is how it is done". Then the actual data should look like "He said \"This is how it is done\".".

This ensures that the \" is treated as "(Quotation mark) and not as JSON formatting. This is called escape character.

This usually happens when one tries to encode an already JSON encoded data, which is a common way I have seen this happen.

Try this

$arr = ['This is a sample','This is also a "sample"']; echo json_encode($arr);

OUTPUT:

["This is a sample","This is also a \"sample\""]

Answer 4

Make sure your php script has the right header or it will add the slashes header('Content-Type: application/json');

Answer 5

I had a very similar problem, I had an array ready to be posted. in my post function I had this:

json = JSON.stringfy(json);

the detail here is that I'm using blade inside laravel to build a three view form, so I can go back and forward, I have in between every back and forward button validations and when I go back in the form without reloading the page my json get filled by backslashes. I console.log(json) in every validation and realized that the json was treated as a string instead of an object.

In conclution i shouldn't have assinged json = JSON.stringfy(json) instead i assigned it to another variable.

var aux = JSON.stringfy(json);

This way i keep json as an object, and not a string.