json_file_encode()/json_file_decode(): provide a higher‑level, file‑oriented shortcut #22137

$data = json_decode(file_get_contents($file), true);

// Read JSON file into array
$data = json_file_decode('/path/to/config.json');
if ($data === false) {
    die('Failed to load or parse JSON.');
}

// Read JSON file into object
$obj = json_file_decode('/path/to/data.json', false);
if ($obj === false) {
    die('Failed to load or parse JSON.');
}

// Write array back to JSON file
if (!json_file_encode('/path/to/data.json', $data)) {
    die('Failed to write JSON.');
}

<?php
/**
 * Read a JSON file and decode it into an array or object.
 *
 * @param string $fileName Path to the JSON file.
 * @param bool|null $object If true, return associative array; if false, return objects.
 *                         If null, default to true (array).
 * @return array|object|false Decoded data, or false on error.
 */
function json_file_decode(string $fileName, ?bool $object = true): array|object|false
{
    // Treat null as true (array) for consistency with json_decode.
    $assoc = ($object === null) ? true : !$object;

    if (!is_readable($fileName)) {
        return false;
    }

    $json = @file_get_contents($fileName);
    if ($json === false) {
        return false;
    }

    $data = json_decode($json, $assoc);
    return ($data === null && json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) ? false : $data;
}

/**
 * Encode an array as JSON and write it to a file.
 *
 * @param string $fileName Path to the JSON file.
 * @param array $array Data to encode and write.
 * @return bool True on success, false on failure.
 */
function json_file_encode(string $fileName, array $array): bool
{
    $json = json_encode($array, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE);
    if ($json === false) {
        return false;
    }

    // Use a temporary file in the same directory for atomic‑style write.
    $dir = dirname($fileName);
    $temp = tempnam($dir, 'json_');
    if ($temp === false) {
        return false;
    }

    $ok = file_put_contents($temp, $json) !== false;
    if ($ok) {
        $ok = rename($temp, $fileName);
    }

    if (!$ok && file_exists($temp)) {
        @unlink($temp);
    }

    return $ok;
}