Using php json_decode with 1d and 2d array

Question

I am using json_decode in PHP to decode a JSON object which may have 1d array or 2d array for a value:

{"Cell":{"@column":"ZjE6dW5pdmVyc2l0eQ==","@timestamp":"1425598820484","$":"MC44MDc2NDEwNDg0MjI5MjMy"}}

or

{"Cell":[{"@column":"ZjE6YQ==","@timestamp":"1425599309809","$":"MC4wNTYzMzgwMjgxNjkwMTQwODY="},{"@column":"ZjE6YW5k","@timestamp":"1425599309809","$":"MC4wNTYzMzgwMjgxNjkwMTQwODY="},{"@column":"ZjE6Y2F0Y2hlcw==","@timestamp":"1425599309809","$":"MC4wNDIyNTM1MjExMjY3NjA1Ng=="},{"@column":"ZjE6aQ==","@timestamp":"1425599309809","$":"MC4wOTg1OTE1NDkyOTU3NzQ2NA=="},{"@column":"ZjE6dGhhdA==","@timestamp":"1425599309809","$":"MC4xNjkwMTQwODQ1MDcwNDIyNQ=="}]}

and I am using $Cell = $json["Cell"] to access the elements. The problem I am facing is that the second case plays nicely and I get an array of arrays while the first one should be a single element array but is being interpreted as a 3 element array.

Answer 1

Can't you just check if the element has the key? Like this:

if (isset($json['Cell']['@column']) {
    // do stuff with single-element
} else {
    // it is a collection
}