How can I flatten a Multidimensional array into a string? - php

Question

Ive researched this but im coming up blank, Im generating an array of tests from a database like so:
$descriptions = array();
foreach ($tests as $value) {
array_push($descriptions, ['name' => $value['name']]);
}
I'm getting the desired out put but i'm getting a Multidimensional array of an array with '[64]' arrays inside '$descriptions', I need to convert this array so I get the following output:
'name' => $value1, 'name' => $value2, etc etc for all results,
I've tried implode, array_merge etc but the closest I've got is a flat array with only my last test: [name] => Zika can anyone point me in the right direction? cheers

Answer 1

You can't have duplicate array keys. But you can pass an array in like so:
<?php
$descriptions = array();
$tests = array(
'Zika', 'SARS', 'AIDS', 'Mad Cow Disease', 'Bird Flu', 'Zombie Infection',
);
foreach ($tests as $value) {
$descriptions[] = array('name' => $value);
}
var_dump($descriptions);
Which gives you :
array(6) { [0]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(4) "Zika" } [1]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(4) "SARS" } [2]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(4) "AIDS" } [3]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(15) "Mad Cow Disease" } [4]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(8) "Bird Flu" } [5]=> array(1) { ["name"]=> string(16) "Zombie Infection" } }
So you could foreach ($descriptions as $desc) and echo $desc['name']';
Have a look here: https://3v4l.org/pWSC6
If you just want a string, try this:
<?php
$descriptions = '';
$tests = array(
'Zika', 'SARS', 'AIDS', 'Mad Cow Disease', 'Bird Flu', 'Zombie Infection',
);
foreach ($tests as $value) {
$descriptions .= 'name => '.$value.', ';
}
$descriptions = substr($descriptions, 0, -2); // lose the last comma
echo $descriptions;
Which will output:
name => Zika, name => SARS, name => AIDS, name => Mad Cow Disease, name => Bird Flu, name => Zombie Infection
See it here https://3v4l.org/OFGF4