what is an associative array?

I was actually already doing that (without the true)

$encoded_data=json_encode($data,true);

$endcoded_data=
{"survey_compiler":"[email protected]","campaign":"Apple","compiler_relation":"private","admin_email":"[email protected]","year":"2010","employee":"Bandfrom Bossanova","employee_email":"[email protected]","employee_id":"","task1":"","task1_percent":"0","task2":"","task2_percent":"0","task3":"","task3_percent":"0","task4":"","task4_percent":"0","task5":"","task5_percent":"0","task6":"","task6_percent":"0"}

and then

$params = [
'TableName' => $tableName,
'email'=>$admin_email, //sort
'year'=> $year, //partition
'Item' => $encoded_data
];

BTW, when I look at it in the debugger, there is a double quote at the beginning and the end.

same error "must be an associative array".

proof that an old dog can learn new tricks