# Easily convert data object to array Help

**URL:** <https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929>\
**Category:** Need Help\
**Created:** [September 14, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929 "2018-09-14T12:04:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jhall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jhall](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/jhall)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/1 "2018-09-14T12:04:10Z")

</div>

How do I easily convert this into an array? Can I do toArray?

$employees = TableRegistry::get(‘employees’)-\>find(‘all’, array(‘fields’=\> array(‘EMPLOYEEID’,‘FIRSTNAME’, ‘LASTNAME’)))-\>toList();

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rrd](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.cakephp.org/rrd/32/113_2.png) [@rrd](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/rrd)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/2 "2018-09-14T13:00:39Z")

</div>

Is this CakePHP 2 or CakePHP 3?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jhall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jhall](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/jhall)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/3 "2018-09-14T13:41:37Z")

</div>

the version of cakephp I am using is version 3.6

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FinlayDaG33k](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.cakephp.org/finlaydag33k/32/1049_2.png) [@FinlayDaG33k](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/FinlayDaG33k)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/4 "2018-09-14T21:28:11Z")

</div>

> [@jhall](#):
>
> $employees = TableRegistry::get(‘employees’)-\>find(‘all’, array(‘fields’=\> array(‘EMPLOYEEID’,‘FIRSTNAME’, ‘LASTNAME’)))-\>toList();

try using `toArray()`:

```auto
$employees = TableRegistry::get('employees')->find('all', array('fields'=> array('EMPLOYEEID','FIRSTNAME', 'LASTNAME')))->toArray();

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rrd](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.cakephp.org/rrd/32/113_2.png) [@rrd](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/rrd)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 10:22am UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/5 "2018-09-19T10:22:45Z")

</div>

You are using the old syntax. Better to change it to

`$employees = TableRegistry::get(‘employees’)->find(‘all’)->select(array(‘EMPLOYEEID’,‘FIRSTNAME’, ‘LASTNAME’))->toArray();`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jhall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jhall](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/jhall)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/easily-convert-data-object-to-array-help/4929/6 "2018-09-19T19:43:46Z")

</div>

Awesome Thanks for your willingness to help me out !