https://blog.canopas.com/php-useful-encoding-and-decoding-functions-you-need-to-know-210e523a065f - json_decode

json_decode.php

<?php

# Example 1 (Associative array)

$users = '[{"id":"1","name":"John"},{"id":"2","name":"Michel"}]';
var_dump(json_decode($users));

/* 
output: array(2) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#1 (2) { ["id"]=> string(1) "1" ["name"]=> string(4) "John" } 
                   [1]=> object(stdClass)#2 (2) { ["id"]=> string(1) "2" ["name"]=> string(6) "Michel" } 
                 }
                 
*/


# Example 2 (Indexed array)

$users = '["John","Michel"]';
var_dump(json_decode($users));

/*
output: array(2) { [0]=> string(4) "John" 
                   [1]=> string(6) "Michel"
                 }
*/

?>