adapting Python code into PHP with a reference issue - php

Question

I'm trying to convert some python code into PHP and I have some difficulties to get the same output.
Actually, I think the problem is about working with a dictionary by reference in Python, more difficult in PHP
Here is my Python code :
import json
from pprint import pprint
a=["/",
"/page1.html",
"/cocktails/receipe/page1.html",
"/cocktails/receipe/page2.html",
"/cocktails/page3.html",
"/article/magazine",
"/article/mood/page1.html"]
def create(path,dictionaryandarray):
#print(path[0],dictionary)
if not path:
return
for ele in dictionaryandarray:
if 'name' in ele and ele['name'] == path[0]:
ele.setdefault('children',[])
if (path[1:]):
create(path[1:],ele['children'])
return
newvalue={'name':path[0]}
if (path[1:]):
newvalue['children']=[]
dictionaryandarray.append(newvalue)
if (path[1:]):
create(path[1:], dictionaryandarray[-1]['children'])
d = []
for i in a:
parts = [j for j in i.split('/') if j != '']
create(parts ,d)
data={'name':'/','children':d}
data=json.dumps(data, indent=4, sort_keys=False)
# pprint(data)
print(data)
and here is my PHP code :
<?php
$rows=[
"page1.html",
"/cocktails/receipe/page1.html",
"/cocktails/receipe/page2.html",
"/cocktails/page3.html",
"/article/magazine",
"/article/mood/page1.html"];
$res = [];
$i=0;
foreach($rows as $row){
$suffix = preg_replace("#https?://[^/]*#", "", $row);
$parts = array_values(array_filter(preg_split("#[/\?]#", $suffix)));
create($parts, $res);
}
$data=['name' => '/','children' =>$res];
$data= json_encode($data, true);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo $data;
function create($path, &$res){
if (empty($path))
return;
if (is_null($res))
return;
foreach ($res as $key => $ele){
if (array_key_exists("name", $ele) && $ele['name'] == $path[0]){
if (!array_key_exists("children", $ele)){
$res[$key]['children'] = [];
}
if (count($path) > 1){
create(array_slice($path, 1), $res[$key]['children']);
}
return;
}
}
$newvalue = ["name" => $path[0]];
if (count($path)>1){
$newvalue['children'] = [];
}
$res[] = $newvalue;
if (count($path)> 1){
create(array_slice($path, 1), end($res)['children']);
}
}
what I'm getting is that the $res variable is not populated as python do. I tryed to pass it by reference but get the same problem.
May be there is a way to populate it the same way than Python do, but I don't know how to do.
Any help is appreciated, thanks

Answer 1

PHP's foreach is implemented as call-by-value instead of call-by-reference. So your $ele['children'] assignments are doing nothing. Also, mix doing return with pass-by-reference doesn't help.
You may convert your create() to full call-by-reference style like this:
<?php
function create($path, &$res){
if (empty($path))
return;
if (is_null($res))
return;
foreach ($res as $key => $ele){
if (array_key_exists("name", $ele) && $ele['name'] == $path[0]){
if (!array_key_exists("children", $ele)){
$res[$key]['children'] = [];
}
if (count($path) > 1){
create(array_slice($path, 1), $res[$key]['children']);
}
return;
}
}
$newvalue = ["name" => $path[0]];
if (count($path)>1){
$newvalue['children'] = [];
}
$res[] = $newvalue;
if (count($path)> 1){
create(array_slice($path, 1), end($res)['children']);
}
}
Then you should simply rewrite $res = create($parts, $res); to create($parts, $res);. Things should work.