json_decode in php is returning null

Question

I'm trying to encode a json string but it keeps returning null. I've tried a few suggestion here on st

$url = "https://www.google.com/finance?output=json&start=0&num=200&noIL=1&q=[currency%20%3D%3D%20%22USD%22%20%26%20%28%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEMKT%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEARCA%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSE%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NASDAQ%22%29%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3E%3D%20-101%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3C%3D%20-3%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3E%3D%20150001%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3C%3D%20313940000%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3E%3D%2010%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3C%3D%20229301%29]&restype=company&ei=T5mTVKG5IYT1igKEoYHQCQ";

$obj = file_get_contents($url);
$obj = json_decode($obj);
var_dump($obj);

What does $obj contain before you run json_decode on it? — AlpineCoder
– AlpineCoder, Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 18:14
It looks like if you want to encode a string you have to use json_encode not json_decode. — Verhaeren
– Verhaeren, Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 18:15
@Verhaeren I'd assume he wants to take a string (that he gets form that URL) and decode it into an object / array. — AlpineCoder
– AlpineCoder, Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 18:16
@AlpineCoder I'm pointing the lack of consistency in the title of the question. — Verhaeren
– Verhaeren, Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 18:17
This might be helpful: PHP reading invalid json with json_decode(). It specifically references google/finance. "The JSON feeds from Google always seem to be plagued with problems...." — showdev
– showdev, Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 20:22

Rajesh Ujade · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-24 06:08:03Z

2

+50

JSON doesn't support \x escapes, so it's invalid JSON by definition, hence why json_decode() returns null. Decoding the valid JSON \u0022 works fine.

$url = "https://www.google.com/finance?output=json&start=0&num=200&noIL=1&q=[currency%20%3D%3D%20%22USD%22%20%26%20%28%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEMKT%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEARCA%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSE%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NASDAQ%22%29%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3E%3D%20-101%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3C%3D%20-3%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3E%3D%20150001%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3C%3D%20313940000%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3E%3D%2010%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3C%3D%20229301%29]&restype=company&ei=T5mTVKG5IYT1igKEoYHQCQ";

$obj = file_get_contents($url);
$obj = trim($obj);
$obj = str_replace('\x', '\u00', $obj);
$obj = json_decode($obj,true);
var_dump($obj);

answered Dec 24, 2014 at 6:08

Rajesh Ujade

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2 Comments

Jasper N. Brouwer Over a year ago

The solution is indeed to convert the \x notation to \u00 notation. trim() isn't necessary. Works like a charm!

Rajesh Ujade Over a year ago

@ Jasper N. Brouwer Yes its not needed. I have added it because the json data have whitespaces.

tzafar · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-23 06:43:38Z

Try this code

<?php
function convert($string) {
    return preg_replace_callback('#\\\\x([[:xdigit:]]{2})#ism', function($matches) {
        return htmlentities(chr(hexdec($matches[1])));
    }, $string);
}
$url = "https://www.google.com/finance?output=json&start=0&num=200&noIL=1&q=[currency%20%3D%3D%20%22USD%22%20%26%20%28%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEMKT%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSEARCA%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NYSE%22%29%20%7C%20%28exchange%20%3D%3D%20%22NASDAQ%22%29%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3E%3D%20-101%29%20%26%20%28change_today_percent%20%3C%3D%20-3%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3E%3D%20150001%29%20%26%20%28volume%20%3C%3D%20313940000%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3E%3D%2010%29%20%26%20%28last_price%20%3C%3D%20229301%29]&restype=company&ei=T5mTVKG5IYT1igKEoYHQCQ";

$obj = file_get_contents($url);
$obj = convert($obj);
$obj = json_decode($obj);
echo '<pre>'; print_r($obj); echo '</pre>';
?>

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:59:08Z

0

As recommended here (and pointed out by @showdev already, thanks!) you should use their RSS API and parse that as XML instead, because Google does not deem it necessary to honour web standards (here, they fail at JSON; elsewhere, they fail at simple things like SMTP and especially IMAP).

JSON has a very detailed specification, and it is very easy to adhere to in generators. Making JSON parsing strict is recommended for security reasons – especially with external input. So please use Google’s RSS variant.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:59

CommunityBot

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answered Dec 23, 2014 at 16:39

mirabilos

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1 Comment

KingKongFrog Over a year ago

Did you even try using the rss option argument? I would suggest you do before just adding an answer.

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