php 数组如何转换成json

<?php
   $arr = array('a' => 1, 'b' => 2, 'c' => 3, 'd' => 4, 'e' => 5);
   echo json_encode($arr);
?>

{"a":1,"b":2,"c":3,"d":4,"e":5}

string json_encode ( $value [, $options = 0 ] )

<?php
   class Emp {
       public $name = "";
       public $hobbies  = "";
       public $birthdate = "";
   }
   $e = new Emp();
   $e->name = "sachin";
   $e->hobbies  = "sports";
   $e->birthdate = date('m/d/Y h:i:s a', "8/5/1974 12:20:03 p");
   $e->birthdate = date('m/d/Y h:i:s a', strtotime("8/5/1974 12:20:03"));

   echo json_encode($e);
?>

{"name":"sachin","hobbies":"sports","birthdate":"08\/05\/1974 12:20:03 pm"}

mixed json_decode ($json_string [,$assoc = false [, $depth = 512 [, $options = 0 ]]])

object(stdClass)#1 (5) {
    ["a"] => int(1)
    ["b"] => int(2)
    ["c"] => int(3)
    ["d"] => int(4)
    ["e"] => int(5)
}

array(5) {
    ["a"] => int(1)
    ["b"] => int(2)
    ["c"] => int(3)
    ["d"] => int(4)
    ["e"] => int(5)
}