php unset not working with array of objects - php

Question

i have an array of objects received from mongodb i have a custom soft delete feature, for which i have to loop through the objects find the key deleted_at and unset it from the array this is how my array looks like if i dump it
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONArray)#41 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(15) {
[
0
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#26 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(4) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(18) "BCasdaadaadadasdas"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(11) "11-22-33-44"
[
"deleted_at"
]=>
string(19) "2019-08-21 10:08:43"
}
}
[
1
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#27 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(4) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(9) "ADasdBSDS"
[
"email"
]=>
string(23) "haasdnk-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(11) "03338142535"
[
"deleted_at"
]=>
string(19) "2019-08-21 11:08:17"
}
}
[
2
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#28 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(12) "Hank Zakroff"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(11) "03244424280"
}
}
[
3
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#29 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(12) "Hank Zakroff"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(11) "03244424281"
}
}
[
4
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#30 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(9) "Kate Bell"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "kate-bell#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
5
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#31 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(9) "Kate Bell"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "kate-bell#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
6
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#32 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(14) "Daniel Higgins"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "d-higgins#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(12) "555-478-7672"
}
}
[
7
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#33 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(14) "Daniel Higgins"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "d-higgins#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
8
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#34 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(14) "Daniel Higgins"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "d-higgins#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
9
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#35 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(14) "John Appleseed"
[
"email"
]=>
string(22) "John-Appleseed#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(12) "888-555-5512"
}
}
[
10
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#36 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(14) "John Appleseed"
[
"email"
]=>
string(22) "John-Appleseed#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(12) "888-555-1212"
}
}
[
11
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#37 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(9) "Anna Haro"
[
"email"
]=>
string(17) "anna-haro#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(12) "555-522-8243"
}
}
[
12
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#38 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(12) "Hank Zakroff"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
13
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#39 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(12) "Hank Zakroff"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(13) "[phone]"
}
}
[
14
]=>
object(MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument)#40 (1) {
[
"storage": "ArrayObject":private
]=>
array(3) {
[
"name"
]=>
string(12) "David Taylor"
[
"email"
]=>
string(20) "hank-zakroff#mac.com"
[
"mobileNo"
]=>
string(12) "555-610-6679"
}
}
}
}
for unsetting the index i did what i normally do in arrays
foreach ($is_exist['contacts'] as $key => $value) {
if(#$value['deleted_at']){
unset($is_exist['contacts'][$key]);
}
}
now i have matching objects at key 0 and 1 but the problem is it unsets the key 0 but not key 1 i have tried many combinations like
//pass by reference doesnot work at all
foreach ($is_exist['contacts'] as $key => &$value) {
if(#$value['deleted_at']){
unset($value);
}
}
i even tried
reset($is_exist['contacts']);
just after my unset condition but that doesn't work as well
it's strange , this doesn't happen normally any idea why this is happening?

Answer 1

... the problem is it unsets the key 0 but not key 1
It's generally not good practice to mutate an array in-place while iterating its items.
You're bound to run into this problem as the internal array pointer (PHP versions < 7) is destroyed in the unset operation.
You can make a copy of the original array and iterate over that copy while modifying the original array or better, make a filtered copy with undeleted documents.
I prefer the later approach to be straight-forward and clear on the intent. e.g.
$contacts = $is_exist['contacts'];
$active_contacts = [];
foreach ($contacts as $key => &$value) {
if(is_null(#$value['deleted_at']))
{
$active_contacts[] = #$value;
}
}
$is_exist['contacts'] = $active_contacts;

Answer 2

Filter in the db query may be better than your php code.
If you want to filter it with your php code, use a new array to store the filter item instead of doing inplace modificaiton.
$result = [];
foreach($array as $v){
if(!$v['deleted_at']){
$result[] = $v;
}
}
or
$result = array_filter($array,function($v){
return !$v['deleted_at'];
});