Some General Helpers I keep using

JsonHelpers.php

<?php

class JsonHelpers {
    //helper function lifted from the transcription project
    public static function printOkJSONAndDie($phpArray=[]) {
        if (!is_array($phpArray)) {
            $r=[];
            $r['message'] = $phpArray;
            $phpArray = $r;
        }
        header('Content-Type: application/json');
        $phpArray['status'] = '200';
        $phpArray['valid'] = true;
        $out = json_encode($phpArray);
        if ($out) {
            print $out;
        } else {
            self::printErrorJSONAndDie( json_last_error_msg());
        }
        exit;
    }

//helper function lifted from the transcription project
    public static function printErrorJSONAndDie($message,$phpArray=[]) {
        header('Content-Type: application/json');
        $phpArray['status'] = 'error';
        $phpArray['status'] = '500';
        $phpArray['valid'] = false;
        $phpArray['message'] = $message;
        $out = json_encode($phpArray);
        if ($out) {
            print $out;
        } else {
            print json_last_error_msg();
        }

        exit;
    }

    //throws error if cannot convert

    /**
     * Converts a php array to a json string
     * @param $phpArray
     * @return string
     * @throws Exception if json error
     */
    public static function toString( $phpArray) {
        $out = json_encode($phpArray);
        if ($out) {
            return $out;
        } else {
            print "error in json\n";
            $oops =  json_last_error_msg();
            throw  new Exception($oops);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Returns the decoded json from the input
     * if input is null then returns null
     * if input is empty returns []
     * else converts the string value of the input from a json string to a php structure
     * @param mixed $what
     * @return array|mixed|null
     * @throws Exception if json error
     */
    public static function fromString($what) {
        if (is_null($what) ) { return null;}
        if (empty($what)) {return [];}
        $what = strval($what);
        if ( strcasecmp($what,'null') == 0) {return null;}
        $out = json_decode(strval($what), true);
        if (is_null($out)) {
            $oops =  json_last_error_msg();
            $oops .= "\n Data: \n". $what;
            throw  new Exception($oops);
        } else {
            return $out;
        }


    }

    /**
     * if the param is an array then processed by toString,
     * but if not an array then the string casting of mixed is returned
     *  if boolean returns a '1' or '0'
     * finally, if null then null is returned
     * @param $what mixed any value
     * @throws Exception
     * @return string
     */
    public static function toStringAgnostic($what) {
        if (is_null($what)) {return null;}

        if (is_bool($what)) {
            if ($what) {return '1';}
            else {return '0';}
        }

        if (is_array($what)) {
            return self::toString($what);
        } else {
            return strval($what);
        }

    }

    /**
     * Use this to inspect json returns
     * Debug, prints array information to the screen in an easy to read html table
     * I have been using this for years, and its not mine, forget where I found it
     * @example print_nice($array)
     * @param $elem, the only thing to use when calling it, the rest of the method params is for the recursion
     * @param int $max_level
     * @param array $print_nice_stack
     * @return void  it prints to the screen
     */
    public static function print_nice($elem,$max_level=15,$print_nice_stack=array()){
        //if (is_object($elem)) {$elem = object_to_array($elem);}
        if(is_array($elem) || is_object($elem)){
            if(in_array($elem,$print_nice_stack,true)){
                echo "<span style='color:red'>RECURSION</span>";
                return;
            }
            $print_nice_stack[]=&$elem;
            if($max_level<1){
                echo "<span style='color:red'>reached maximum level</span>";
                return;
            }
            $max_level--;
            echo "<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=100%>";
            if(is_array($elem)){
                echo '<tr><td colspan=2 style="background-color:#333333;"><strong><span style="color:white">ARRAY</span></strong></td></tr>';
            }else{
                echo '<tr><td colspan=2 style="background-color:#333333;"><strong>';
                echo '<span style="color:white">OBJECT Type: '.get_class($elem).'</span></strong></td></tr>';
            }
            $color=0;
            foreach($elem as $k => $v){
                if($max_level%2){
                    $rgb=($color++%2)?"#888888":"#44BBBB";
                }else{
                    $rgb=($color++%2)?"#777777":"#22BBFF";
                }
                echo '<tr><td valign="top" style="width:40px;background-color:'.$rgb.';">';
                echo '<strong style="color:black">'.$k."</strong></td><td style='background-color:white;color:black'>";
                self::print_nice($v,$max_level,$print_nice_stack);
                echo "</td></tr>";
            }
            echo "</table><br><br>";
            return;
        }
        if($elem === null){
            echo "<span style='color:green'>NULL</span>";
        }elseif($elem === 0){
            echo "0";
        }elseif($elem === true){
            echo "<span style='color:green'>TRUE</span>";
        }elseif($elem === false){
            echo "<span style='color:green'>FALSE</span>";
        }elseif($elem === ""){
            echo "<span style='color:green'>EMPTY STRING</span>";
        }else{
            echo str_replace("\n","<strong><span style='color:green'>*</span></strong><br>\n",$elem);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Outputs information about a class. Sometimes it helps to see data objects this way
     * Not really json like, but it goes with print nice as a set of debug functions
     * @param $object
     * @throws Exception
     */
    public static function TO($object){ //Test Object
        if(!is_object($object)){
            throw new Exception("This is not a Object");
        }
        if(class_exists(get_class($object), true)) echo "<pre>CLASS NAME = ".get_class($object);
        $reflection = new ReflectionClass(get_class($object));
        echo "<br />";
        echo $reflection->getDocComment();

        echo "<br />";

        $metody = $reflection->getMethods();
        foreach($metody as $key => $value){
            echo "<br />". $value;
        }

        echo "<br />";

        $vars = $reflection->getProperties();
        foreach($vars as $key => $value){
            echo "<br />". $value;
        }
        echo "</pre>";
    }

}