Question

Creating a multidimensional array from a single array

Asked by: adamlund

Hi All,

I have a form that allows users to enter a list of surnames plus initials.  Each surname can have 5 initials associated with it.  The form results are posted into a single array.  The first 6 positions within the array are associated with the first person's surname and initials and this then repeats for each extra person added.  For example, if these two people were entered on the form: Smith J S and Jones W P K, then the array would be as shown in the code snippet.  I need to be able to loop around the names and initials in such a way that I need to be able to associate J and S with Smith and W, P and K with Jones.  I would like to do this using a two dimensional array.  Hence the first dimension would be surname and the second would be an array of initials.  Ideally, the code could ignore putting any NULL initials into the second array.

I have tried multiple ways of doing this and keep failing each time!  Any help would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Adam

// Array generated by inputing two names: Smith J S and Jones W P K.
 
Array ( [0] => Smith [1] => J [2] => S [3] => [4] => [5] => [6] => Jones [7] => W [8] => P [9] => K [10] => [11] => ) 12Array ( [0] => [1] => )
 
// Would be great if I could turn into two dimensional array so if I called $authors[0][1] is would get "S".

                                  
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Asked On
2008-07-03 at 07:52:56ID23537060
Tags

PHP

Topic

PHP Scripting Language

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: TchukiPosted on 2008-07-03 at 08:02:39ID: 21926124

Could you not just collect the information as a multidimensional array at the start rather than converting it?

 

by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-03 at 10:47:35ID: 21927645

Hi Tchuki,

Unfortunately not. I have looked at many ways of getting around the issue and this appeared the best.  The form I have initially only displays one persons data (i.e. surname and initials).  The user can then add more surname and initials by clicking an add button (a javascript control).  If you know of a better way to collect the data so that I might be able to associate the initials with the surname then I will gladly listen! For example, if you knew how to add a 1onto all form field names for the first person, then 2 for second etc. that would be great.

Many thanks for your time.

Adam

 

by: TchukiPosted on 2008-07-03 at 11:07:59ID: 21927812

Can you provide the form and current form processing script?

 

by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-03 at 11:21:24ID: 21927918

This also includes the checkbox element which makes things harder it seems as php doesn't automatically add it into the array (if it is null).

Adam

<script>
function addTab(tabId,theBtn){
  var newTab = document.getElementById(tabId).cloneNode(true);
  theBtn.parentNode.insertBefore(newTab,theBtn);
}
<script>
 
<table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="700" id="Authors">
<tr>
<td>Surname:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="30"></td>
<td>Initials:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="author[]" value="1">
Junior</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>
  <table width="700" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
    <tr height="40">
      <td height="40"><div align="right">
        <input type="button" value="Add" onClick="addTab('Authors',this)">
      </div></td>
    </tr>
  </table>

                                              
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by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-03 at 11:23:14ID: 21927932

None of the form processing I have has worked correctly. It submits to another page.

Adam

 

by: 5of0Posted on 2008-07-03 at 14:37:02ID: 21929399

Here's some PHP that will go ahead and convert the array:

<?php
 
function serialToMulti($array, $fieldwidth=6) {
	$arraylen = sizeof($array);
	$curpos = 0;
	$result = array();
	while($curpos < $arraylen) {
	  $surname = $array[$curpos];
 
	  $innerarray = array();
	  for($i=1;$i<$fieldwidth;$i++) {
	    $curpos++;
	    $initial = $array[$curpos];
	    if(!empty($initial)) { $innerarray[] = $initial; }
	  }
 
	  $result[$surname] = $innerarray;
	  $curpos++;
	}
	return $result;
}
$array = array('Smith', 'J', 'S', '', '', '', 'Jones', 'W', 'P', 'K', '', '');
echo '<pre>' . print_r(serialToMulti($array), true) . '</pre>';
?>

                                              
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by: 5of0Posted on 2008-07-03 at 14:37:50ID: 21929408

I just tested that code, and here's the sample run:

Array
(
    [Smith] => Array
        (
            [0] => J
            [1] => S
        )
 
    [Jones] => Array
        (
            [0] => W
            [1] => P
            [2] => K
        )
 
)
                                              
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by: 5of0Posted on 2008-07-03 at 14:39:18ID: 21929420

As a note, "fieldwidth" determines how wide each entry is - if you decided to allow for up to 6 initials (and a surname) for a field width of 7, for instance, you could use the following:

serialToMulti($array, 7);

                                              
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by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-03 at 15:26:13ID: 31473228

Thank you very much! An excellent solution that even anticipated that I will need to alter the length of the array repeat.

Many thanks,

Adam

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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