<?php
$str = <<<JSON
[
{
"branch_id": "1",
"issue_id": "1",
"user_id": "5",
"parent_id": null,
"level": "1",
"name": "troll",
"description": "yup",
"add_date": "2012-10-24 20:26:04",
"children": [
{
"branch_id": "2",
"issue_id": "1",
"user_id": "5",
"parent_id": "1",
"level": "2",
"name": "sdad",
"description": "dssfsd",
"add_date": "2012-10-24 20:52:52",
"children": [
{
"branch_id": "4",
"issue_id": "1",
"user_id": "5",
"parent_id": "2",
"level": "3",
"name": "fdgffd",
"description": "ghjjhjghjj",
"add_date": "2012-10-25 17:51:53",
"children": []
}
]
}
]
},
{
"branch_id": "3",
"issue_id": "1",
"user_id": "5",
"parent_id": null,
"level": "1",
"name": "dgdfg",
"description": "dfgfgdfg",
"add_date": "2012-10-24 20:52:52",
"children": []
}
]
JSON;
var_dump(json_decode($str));