php - XML parsing is not working when it's only one array

I am parsing the xml like following:

$result = '
<sms>
<status>0</status>
<message>
<contact_lists>
<contact_list><cl_id>11111</cl_id><phone>999999999</phone><name>Neu</name></contact_list>
<contact_list><cl_id>222222</cl_id><phone>888888888</phone><name>Alt</name></contact_list>
</contact_lists>
</message>
</sms>';

$xml = simplexml_load_string($result, "SimpleXMLElement", LIBXML_NOCDATA);
$json = json_encode($xml);
$array = json_decode($json,true);

$contact_lists = $array['contact_lists']['contact_list'];
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A sometimes the array look like this, which is works.

Array ( [status] => 0 [message] => Array ( ) [contact_lists] => Array ( [contact_list] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [cl_id] => 11111 [phone] => 999999999 [name] => Neu ) [1] => Array ( [cl_id] => 222222 [phone] => 888888888 [name] => Alt ) ) ) )
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B but sometime if the array has only one contact_list, it will look like following

Array ( [status] => 0 [message] => Array ( ) [contact_lists] => Array ( [contact_list] => Array ( [cl_id] => 11111 [phone] => 999999999 [name] => Neu ) ) )
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when i use$contact_listsin foreach loop it works withA since there are multiple array keys like 0,1,2,etc... but withB it shows errorWarning: Illegal string offset 'name' etc.. since there are no array key like 0,1,2,etc...

so parsing the xml is automatically removing the key numbering which causing the the issue.

1- is there a way to keep the key numbering if only one array?

2- tried to useif (count($contact_lists) >= 1) { , but its not working as well..

Any idea for a workaround to solve such issue ?

SOLUTION:

$contact_lists_found = isset($array['contact_lists']['contact_list']) ? $array['contact_lists']['contact_list'] : '';

    
    if ($contact_lists_found !== '' ) {

        if (array_key_exists('0', $contact_lists_found)) {
            // more than contact list
            $contact_lists = $array['contact_lists']['contact_list'];
        } else {
            // only one contact list
            $contact_lists[0] = $array['contact_lists']['contact_list'];
        }
        
    } else {
        
        $contact_lists = array();
    }
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