Multidimensional arrays

[themistral]

Hi guys,

 

I have a multidimensional array stored as a string in a database.

How can I retrieve this information and make it act as a string?

 

$query = mysql_query("SELECT string FROM database");
$result = mysql_fetch_array($query);

$arr = array();
$arr[] = $result[string];

 

Would this have the required effect to make a string act as a multidimensional array?

[PFMaBiSmAd]

The answer looks like it would be - No.

 

If you posted an actual example of what your data is and what you are trying to produce, I'm sure someone could probably help you.

[shlumph]

I have a multidimensional array stored as a string in a database.

 

You should either normalize your database, or serialize the array before pushing it into the database, and unserialize the array after pulling it from the database.

[themistral]

This is an example of the string in the database

a:1:{s:7:"options";a:3:{s:11:"Yellow/Pink";s:11:"Yellow/Pink";s:12:"Yellow/Green";s:12:"Yellow/Green";s:12:"Yellow/Multi";s:12:"Yellow/Multi";}}

 

I need to access the values of "Yellow/Green", "Yellow/Pink" and "Yellow/Multi" to populate a drop down list.

 

[themistral]

Hi shlumph,

 

I can't do anything about the way the data is input into the database - it's a CMS...

[shlumph]

It looks like it's already serialized, you just need to unserialize it now

 

http://us2.php.net/unserialize

[themistral]

Hi shlumph,

 

Doh! I'll take a look - thanks for the link 

[themistral]

OK, I've got my multidimensional array:

 

Array
(
    [options] => Array
        (
            [Animal Print] => Animal Print
            [Animal Print/Multi] => Animal Print/Multi
            [Animal Print/Pink] => Animal Print/Pink
            [black] => Black
        )

)

 

I can print my array fine.

$data = unserialize($result['colours']);
echo '<pre>';
print_r($data);
echo '</pre>';

I can reference a single item using

echo $data['options']['Animal Print'];

But I can't seem to reference a single item using

echo $data[0][0];

 

Can anyone help me out?

[themistral]

Ok, I'm understanding that it's because it's an associative array that I can't reference as

echo $data[0][0];

Is there a way to turn this into a non-associative array?

[salathe]

themistral, you could use a function like the one below to turn the associative nested array into a plain nested array.

 

function unassoc(&$array) {
// Re-index the array
$array = array_values($array);
// Call unassoc recursively for sub-arrays
foreach ($array as &$val) {
	if (is_array($val)) {
		unassoc($val);
	}
}
}

// Use it like this
unassoc($data);

echo $data[0][0];

 

[PFMaBiSmAd]

I've got to ask why you want a numerically indexed array? I suspect is it because you want to iterate over the data, in which case you would just iterate over the associative array.

 

Given that the number of data elements could vary, the meaning of each element looks like it can be anything, and even the order of the elements could change, attempting to access a specific numerical element wouldn't necessarily give you the result you expect.

 

 

[themistral]

I need to loop through the items to create a dropdown box.

 

I have done it now - phew!

 

	$data = unserialize($result['colour']);

$data2 = $data['options']; // options is the name of the first array

foreach ($data2 as $value) {
	echo '<option value="'.$value.'">'.$value.'</option>';
}

[PFMaBiSmAd]

You can actually do the foreach() directly on the data array -

 

foreach($data['options'] as $value){