"{"description":"Testing","site":"http://localhost","steps":{"step":[{"command":"grabimage","parameter":"img[alt="Next"]"},{"command":"click","parameter":"img[alt="Previous"]"}]}}"

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<pullcase>
<description>Testing</description>
<site>http://localhost:81</site>
<steps>
<step>
   <command>grabimage</command>
   <parameter>img[alt="Next"]</parameter>
</step>
</steps>
</pullcase>

["steps"]=>
array(1) {
["step"]=>
array(2) {
  ["command"]=>
  string(9) "grabimage"
  ["parameter"]=>
  string(15) "img[alt="Next"]"
}
}

["steps"]=>
array(1) {
["step"]=>
array(2) {
  [0]=>
  array(2) {
    ["command"]=>
    string(9) "grabimage"
    ["parameter"]=>
    string(15) "img[alt="Next"]"
  }
  [1]=>
  array(2) {
    ["command"]=>
    string(5) "click"
    ["parameter"]=>
    string(19) "img[alt="Previous"]"
  }
  }
}

["steps"]=>
array(1) {
["step"]=>
array(1) {
  [0]=>
  array(2) {
  ["command"]=>
  string(9) "grabimage"
  ["parameter"]=>
  string(15) "img[alt="Next"]"
}
}

$json = <<<'JSON'
{
  "key": {
    "list_example": [
      {
        "key": "value"
      }
    ]
  }
}
JSON;

var_dump(json_decode($json));

object(stdClass)#1 (1) {
  ["key"]=>
  object(stdClass)#2 (1) {
    ["list_example"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      object(stdClass)#3 (1) {
        ["key"]=>
        string(5) "value"
      }
    }
  }
}

$json='{"description":"Testing","site":"http:\/\/localhost","steps":{"step":{"command":"grabimage","parameter":"img[alt=\"1Next\"]"}}}';
$array=json_decode($json,true);
if(key($array['steps']['step'])==='command'){  // if first key is "command" it is not indexed (in other words, "lone")
    $array['steps']['step']=[$array['steps']['step']];  // position the lone subarray (deeper) in an indexed subarray.
}
var_export($array);

array (
  'description' => 'Testing',
  'site' => 'http://localhost',
  'steps' =>
  array (
    'step' =>
    array (
      0 =>
      array (
        'command' => 'grabimage',
        'parameter' => 'img[alt="1Next"]',
      ),
    ),
  ),
)