refactoring the json model helper

src/Mvc/Model/Json.php

@@ -14,20 +14,37 @@
 trait Json
 {
     /**
-     * JSON Encode or fallback to value
-     * @see json_encode
+     * Encodes a value to JSON.
+     *
+     * @param mixed $value The value to be encoded.
+     * @param int $flags [Optional] Bitmask of JSON encode options.
+     *                             Defaults to JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES.
+     * @param int $depth [Optional] The maximum depth of recursion when encoding nested objects.
+     *                             Defaults to 512.
+     *
+     * @return string|false        The JSON encoded string on success, or `false` on failure.
      */
-    public function jsonEncode($value, int $flags = JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES, int $depth = 512)
+    public function jsonEncode(mixed $value, int $flags = JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES, int $depth = 512): string|false
     {
-        return json_encode($value, $flags, $depth) ?: $value;
+        return json_encode($value, $flags, $depth);
     }
 
     /**
-     * JSON Decode or fallback to value
-     * @see json_decode
+     * Decodes a JSON string.
+     *
+     * @param string $json The JSON string to be decoded.
+     * @param bool|null $associative [Optional] When `true`, returned objects will be converted into associative arrays.
+     *                                         When `false`, objects will be returned as generic objects. If `null`, objects
+     *                                         will be returned based on the JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK flag.
+     * @param int $depth [Optional] The maximum depth of recursion when decoding nested objects.
+     *                             Defaults to 512.
+     * @param int $flags [Optional] Bitmask of JSON decode options.
+     *                             Defaults to 0.
+     *
+     * @return mixed                 The decoded value on success, or the original JSON string on failure.
      */
-    public function jsonDecode(string $json, ?bool $associative = null, int $depth = 512, int $flags = 0)
+    public function jsonDecode(string $json, ?bool $associative = null, int $depth = 512, int $flags = 0): mixed
     {
-        return json_decode($json, $associative, $depth, $flags) ?: $json;
+        return json_decode($json, $associative, $depth, $flags);
     }
 }