Why using unset() function cast the array to object?

Question

Here is my code:

return ApiResponse::Json(200, '', ['categories' => $categories], 200);

And here is a screenshot of the result:

Now, I need to unset items inside categories collection based on a specific logic. So I wrote this loop:

foreach ($categories as $key => $category) {
    if ($category->BusinessSubCategory->isEmpty())
          unset($categories[0]);
}

return ApiResponse::Json(200, '', ['categories' => $categories], 200);

And here is my new result: (which is casted to an object)

Well .. What's wrong? How can I keep the old structure after unseting some items?

Answer 1

Try this:

foreach ($categories as $key => $category) {
    if ($category->BusinessSubCategory->isEmpty())
          unset($categories[$key]);

}

$categories = array_slice($categories->toArray(), 0, count($categories));

return ApiResponse::Json(200, '', ['categories' => $categories], 200);

Answer 2

The unset() method doesn't change your type.

Your 'array' is not an array but a collection.

Try:

foreach ($categories as $key => $category) {
    if ($category->BusinessSubCategory->isEmpty()) {
        unset($categories[0]);
        break;
    }
}
$categories = array_values($categories->toArray());

return ApiResponse::Json(200, '', ['categories' => $categories], 200);

Notice if you're unseting the same element you should break loop after do that.