title: How to create JSON object from php string?
body: <p>I have a large php string that consists of json style data and need to somehow convert this into a json object. My string looks like something below: (it is one BIG string). Syntax for the string isn't exactly what I attached below but it's just an example. How would I convert a string lik $string below into a json object? Thanx.</p>
  
  <pre><code>$string = "
  {
   \"name\": \"flare\",
   \"children\": [
    {
     \"name\": \"analytics\",
     \"children\": [
      {
       \"name\": \"cluster\",
       \"children\": [
        {\"name\": \"AgglomerativeCluster\", \"size\": 3938},
        {\"name\": \"CommunityStructure\", \"size\": 3812},
        {\"name\": \"HierarchicalCluster\", \"size\": 6714},
        {\"name\": \"MergeEdge\", \"size\": 743}
       ]
      }
      ]
    }
    ]
  }
  ";
  </code></pre>