# Json serialized data in cakephp

**URL:** <https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/json-serialized-data-in-cakephp/6971>\
**Category:** Need Help\
**Created:** [December 10, 2019, 9:23am UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/json-serialized-data-in-cakephp/6971 "2019-12-10T09:23:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@marko](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/marko)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 9:23am UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/json-serialized-data-in-cakephp/6971/1 "2019-12-10T09:23:34Z")

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Is it possible to use JSON-serialized data in cakephp database? The idea is to use cakephp “normally” but save the data in db maybe only with **id** and **data** columns (users can edit data structure). How should I design this to use standard cakephp functionality (e.g. validation)? I could not find the answer in the book.

Cakephp 2 and 4 versions.

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**Author:** ![dakota](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.cakephp.org/dakota/32/1421_2.png) [@dakota](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/dakota)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 10:13am UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/json-serialized-data-in-cakephp/6971/2 "2019-12-10T10:13:28Z")

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No easy way of doing it in CakePHP 2, but in v3 and 4 you can use a combination of [https://book.cakephp.org/4/en/orm/saving-data.html#saving-complex-types](https://book.cakephp.org/4/en/orm/saving-data.html#saving-complex-types) and [https://book.cakephp.org/4/en/core-libraries/validation.html#nesting-validators](https://book.cakephp.org/4/en/core-libraries/validation.html#nesting-validators)