Laravel returning data as object instead of array

Question

I have this code:

$arr = [];

$arr['into']['box'] = 1;

return $arr;

But it returns this:

{
  "into": {
    "box": 1
  }
}

As you can see it should be array, not object!!

I searched a lot but I didn't find anything.

Help me and give me the code or the tip please.

Answer 1

From the docs :

In addition to returning strings from your routes and controllers, you may also return arrays. The framework will automatically convert the array into a JSON response:

The same is true for models, and collections:

Did you know you can also return Eloquent collections from your routes or controllers? They will automatically be converted to JSON. Give it a shot!