PHP Associative array from encoded data -

i'm kinda new php , mysql simple syntax error or i'm having no luck using other examples.

the array in db (json encoded):

["[\"option1\"=\u003e\"1\",\"someotherthing\"=\u003e\"abc\"]",""] 

fetching json encoded array userdata:

if ($stmt = $con->prepare("select userdata users username=?")) {     $stmt->bind_param("s", $username);     $stmt->execute();     $result = $stmt->get_result();     $data = $result->fetch_assoc();     $json = json_decode($data['userdata']);     echo $json[0]; } 

result:

["option1"=>"1","someotherthing"=>"abc"] 

why replacing "echo $json[0];" "echo $json['option1'];" won't work, although array decoded?

edit: got sorted! trick using following:

if ($stmt = $con->prepare("select userdata users username=?")) {     $stmt->bind_param("s", $username);     $stmt->execute();     $result = $stmt->get_result();     $data = $result->fetch_assoc();     $json = json_decode($data['userdata']);     $array = json_decode(json_encode($json),true);     echo $array['test']; } 

this isn't best way go storing data. see, it's being stored in database php code. if you're looking access variables in array you're going have hard time!

a more "common" way of achieving you're after storing json in database , accessing it.

//....other code.... $data = $result->fetch_assoc(); $json = json_decode($data);  echo $json->someotherthing; 

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as @sean noted in comment, you're fetching collection of data instead of 1 row. can harnessing $mysqli->fetch_assoc() return associative array.

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edit

this edit question. you're still storing string array json. that's why can't access it. assume have actual array. way you'd want store said data:

// example array $array = array('test' => 'hello', 'derp' => 'herp'); // encode $json = json_encode($array); // store // mysqli insert, etc...