Query a associative array from Database CI4

Hi, hope you guys are doing ok, 


I'm having trouble changing an array to an object in CI4, I have my working code in PHP which works fine, but I'm having difficulty writing it on CI4, below is my query for a "search" in my Database that retrieves a result and set it as a associative array(object) with a null value,

PHP Code:

if (isset($_GET['q'])) {
    $query = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_GET['q']);
    $title = array();

    $sql = "SELECT name FROM users WHERE name LIKE '%$query%'";
    $results = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
    $names = mysqli_num_rows($results);

    if ($names > 0) {
        while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($results)) {
            $name[$row['name']] = null;
        }
    } else {
        exit();
    }
} else {
    exit();
}

echo json_encode($name); 


However in CI4. the closest thing I could muster up is below, which kind of work, but don't think it is right

Code:

  $user = new  UserModel();
     
  $term = $this->request->getVar('term');
  $data =  $user->like('name', $term, 'both')->findColumn('name');
     
  $object = (object)$data;

    foreach($data as $key => $val) {

        $object->$val = null;

  }

  return $this->response->setJSON($object);

How can I fix this code to get results as the raw PHP, which outputs the whole array converted to an object with its key(from array index) and value as null

You can place these in a helper and then use to convert.

PHP Code:

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------

if ( ! function_exists('objectToArray'))
{
    /**
    * objectToArray ()
    * -------------------------------------------------------------------
    *
    * @param  $data
    * @return array
    */
    function objectToArray(object $data) : array
    {
        if (is_object($data))
        {
            /**
            * Gets the properties of the given object
            * with get_object_vars function
            */
            $data = get_object_vars($data);
        }

        /**
        * Return array converted to object Using __FUNCTION__ (Magic constant)
        * for recursive call
        */
        return (is_array($data)) ? array_map(__FUNCTION__, $data) : $data;
    }
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------

if ( ! function_exists('arrayToObject'))
{
    /**
    * arrayToObject ()
    * -------------------------------------------------------------------
    *
    * @param  $data
    * @return object
    */
    function arrayToObject(array $data) : object
    {
        /**
        * Return array converted to object Using __FUNCTION__ (Magic constant)
        * for recursive call
        */
        return (is_array($data)) ? (object) array_map(__FUNCTION__, $data) : $data;
    }
} 


What did you Try? What did you Get? What did you Expect?

Joined CodeIgniter Community 2009.  ( Skype: insitfx )

return $this->response->setJSON(array_fill_keys($data, null));

Thank you Both @InsiteFX and @iRedds for taking the time to answer the question, The answer by @iRedds has solved the the problem (greatly appriciated), and thanks to @InsiteFX for providing the helper function.