Lazy Json is a PHP library that allows you to navigate a JSON file using a lazy-loaded, object-oriented interface.
Unlike json_decode, this library does not load the entire JSON into memory. Instead, it parses JSON elements on-demand based on the operations you request during navigation.
Its primary goal is to provide a memory-efficient way to access JSON data, not to modify it. While it can be used to validate a JSON structure, it assumes the JSON is well-formed and only parses elements as needed to return the requested data.
- Memory-efficient: Optimized for large JSON files, supporting arrays, objects, and strings, with minimal memory usage during navigation.
- Intuitive: Navigate the JSON as if it were parsed by
json_decode, without needing to load the entire structure into memory. - Zero dependencies: No third-party libraries required, only standard PHP extensions.
- PHP 8.1+ compatible.
- High test coverage: Rigorous unit tests ensure reliability.
- MIT License: You have the freedom to use, modify, and distribute it in both open-source and proprietary projects, with no warranty.
For a JSON file with:
... a large array, you can:
- Access a specific element without loading the entire array into memory.
- Iterate over the array, keeping only one element in memory at a time.
- Count the elements without loading the whole array.
... a large object, you can:
- Access specific properties without parsing the entire object.
- Iterate over the object, keeping only one key-value pair in memory at a time.
... a large string, you can:
- Iterate over the string, processing one UTF-8 character at a time (e.g., stream it to an HTTP response, decode Base64, or save to a file).
- PHP 8.1 or higher
- ext-ctype
- ext-json
- ext-spl
To use this library, you can install it via Composer:
$ composer require lazy-json/lazy-jsonTo know how to use it, check the page Usage.
To have details about public methods, access the API spec.
You might also want to see the examples.
