# Basic Usage

Usage of `Zend_Json` involves using the two public static methods available: `Zend_Json::encode()` and `Zend_Json::decode()`.

    // Retrieve a value:
    $phpNative = Zend_Json::decode($encodedValue);

    // Encode it to return to the client:
    $json = Zend_Json::encode($phpNative);

## Pretty-printing JSON

Sometimes, it may be hard to explore JSON data generated by `Zend_Json::encode()`, since it has no spacing or indentation. In order to make it easier, `Zend_Json` allows you to pretty-print JSON data in the human-readable format with `Zend_Json::prettyPrint()`.

    // Encode it to return to the client:
    $json = Zend_Json::encode($phpNative);
    if($debug) {
        echo Zend_Json::prettyPrint($json, array("indent" => " "));
    }

Second optional argument of `Zend_Json::prettyPrint()` is an option array. Option `indent` allows to set indentation string - by default it's a single tab character.