Can you help me figure out this notation:

```
$myArray = jason_encode( [{ '
    'email' => 'a@bc.com', 
    'firstname' => 'peter',
    'last_name' => 'griffin',
    'company' => 'Nantuket Brewing',
    'Addresses' => [{
        'addr1' => '31 Spooner Ln',
        'city' => 'Quahog',
        'state' => 'RI'
     }]
}]

```

`jason_encode()` converts the data structure into a flat string of most key: value pairs and such.

I get that `[]` means array

Why the `[{ }]` notation?

It looks like I maybe confusing combined protocols. the original string looks like:

```
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => "[\n  {\n    \"email\": \"string@example.com\",\n    \"first_name\": \"string\",\n    \"last_name\": \"string\",\n    \"company\": \"string\",\n    \"phone\": \"string\",\n    \"notes\": \"string\",\n    \"tax_exempt_category\": \"string\",\n    \"customer_group_id\": 0,\n  \"addresses\": [\n      {\n        \"address1\": \"Addr 1\",\n        \"address2\": \"\",\n        \"address_type\": \"residential\",\n      \"city\": \"San Francisco\",\n        \"company\": \"History\",\n      \"country_code\": \"US\",\n        \"first_name\": \"Ronald\",\n       \"last_name\": \"Swimmer\",\n        \"phone\": \"707070707\",\n       \"postal_code\": \"33333\",\n        \"state_or_province\": \"California\",\n        \"form_fields\": [\n          {\n            \"name\": \"test\",\n            \"value\": \"test\"\n          }\n    ]\n      }\n    ],\n    \"authentication\": {\n      \"force_password_reset\": true,\n      \"new_password\": \"string123\"\n    },\n    \"accepts_product_review_abandoned_cart_emails\": true,\n    \"store_credit_amounts\": [\n      {\n        \"amount\": 43.15\n      }\n    ],\n    \"origin_channel_id\": 1,\n    \"channel_ids\": [\n     1\n    ],\n    \"form_fields\": [\n      {\n        \"name\": \"test\",\n        \"value\": \"test\"\n      }\n    ]\n  }\n]",

```

I think what I'm seeing as PHP is actually hand json encoding.

This string works but when I try to assemble the string on my own, the API fails it with

> 
> {"status":422,"title":"The request payload has to be a JSON array for
> the
> endpoint","type":"https://developer.bigcommerce.com/api-docs/getting-started/api-status-codes","errors":{}}
> 
> 
> 

This is the string I'm making:

```
{"email":"lucy@peanuts.mil","first_name":"Lucy","last_name":"van Pelt","company":"Peanuts LTD","phone":"2345551234","notes":"","tax_exempt_category":"","customer_group_id":0,"addresses":{"address1":"120 Great Pumpkin Ln","address2":"","address_type":"residential","city":"St Paul","company":"Peanuts LTD","country_code":"US","first_name":"Lucy","last_name":"van Pelt","phone":"2345551234","postal_code":"55101","state_or_province":"Minnesota","form_fields":{"name":"Are your sales tax exempt? ","value":"No"}},"authentication":{"force_password_reset":false,"New_password":"PeanutsLTD"},"accepts_product_review_abandoned_cart_emails":true,"store_credit_amounts":{"amount":12.34},"origin_channel_id":1,"channel_ids":[1],"attributes":{"name":"gp_customer_id","value":"2112"}}

```

My code:

```
$insertStr =json_encode([
            'email' => 'lucy@peanuts.mil',
            'first_name' => 'Lucy',
            'last_name' => 'van Pelt',
            'company' => 'Peanuts LTD',
            'phone' => '2345551234',
            'notes' => '',
            'tax_exempt_category' => '',
            'customer_group_id' => 0,
            'addresses' => [
                'address1' => '120 Great Pumpkin Ln',
                'address2' => '',
                'address_type' => 'residential',
                'city' => 'St Paul',
                'company' => 'Peanuts LTD',
                'country_code'  => 'US',
                'first_name'  => 'Lucy',
                'last_name'  => 'van Pelt',
                'phone' => '2345551234',
                'postal_code' => '55101',
                'state_or_province' => 'Minnesota',
                'form_fields' => [
                    'name' => 'Are your sales tax exempt? ',
                    'value' => 'No'
                ]
            ],
            'authentication' => [
                'force_password_reset' => false,
                'New_password' => 'PeanutsLTD'
            ],
            'accepts_product_review_abandoned_cart_emails' => true,
            'store_credit_amounts' => [ 'amount' => 12.34],
            'origin_channel_id' => 1,
            'channel_ids' => [1],
            'attributes' => [
                'name' => 'gp_customer_id',
                'value' => '2112'
            ]
    ]);

```