What is a JSON stream and how is it different from a traditional file download in PHP?

A JSON stream is a way to send JSON data in a streaming manner, allowing for faster and more efficient processing of large datasets. This is different from a traditional file download in PHP, where the entire file is downloaded at once, potentially causing memory issues for large files. To implement a JSON stream in PHP, you can use the `php://output` stream with `json_encode()` to send JSON data in chunks. 

<?php
// Set appropriate headers for JSON output
header('Content-Type: application/json');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="data.json"');

// Generate JSON data
$data = [
    ['id' => 1, 'name' => 'John Doe'],
    ['id' => 2, 'name' => 'Jane Smith'],
    // Add more data here
];

// Output JSON data in chunks
$chunkSize = 1024; // Set chunk size as needed
foreach ($data as $item) {
    echo json_encode($item) . "\n";
    ob_flush();
    flush();
    usleep(100); // Add delay if needed
}

Keywords

JSON stream traditional file download PHP file_get_contents json_encode

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