Php does not distinguish between arrays and hashmaps, which means that an empty dict serialises to json as `[ ]`. You can configure it to serialise to `{ }` ins

Php does not distinguish between arrays and hashmaps, which means that an empty dict serialises to json as `[ ]`. You can configure it to serialise to `{ }` instead, but that's a global setting. No, i don't think I'm being harsh.