Phpexcel replace null value with empty string - php

Question

I have noticed that if a cell is empty phpexcel gives it a null value. Is there a way i can replace the null value with any empty string before i loop through the array and store into the database. Below is my code and i am using the codeigniter framework.
public function import(){
$id = $this->session->userdata('company_id');
$directoryname = get_company_full_name($id);
if (!is_dir(FCPATH.'assets/customer_documents/Databases/'.$directoryname)) {
mkdir(FCPATH.'assets/customer_documents/Databases/'.$directoryname, 0777, TRUE);
}
$database_name = $this->input->post('database_name');
// $data['addressbook'] = $this->csv_model->get_addressbook($id);
$data['errors'] = ''; //initialize upload error array to empty
$config['upload_path'] = FCPATH.'assets/customer_documents/Databases/'.$directoryname;
$config['allowed_types'] = '*';
$config['max_size'] = '';
$this->upload->initialize($config);
if (!$this->upload->do_upload()) {
$data['errors'] = $this->upload->display_errors();
$data['databases'] = $this->database->get_databases($id);
$this->session->set_flashdata($data);
redirect(base_url().'Databases');
} else {
$file_data = $this->upload->data();
$file_ext = $file_data['file_ext'];
// use custom function to determine if filetype is allowed
if (allow_csv_type($file_ext))
{
$file_path = FCPATH.'assets/customer_documents/Databases/'.$directoryname. '/' .$file_data['file_name'];
//read file from path
$objPHPExcel = PHPExcel_IOFactory::load($file_path);
$date_uploaded = date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
if ($objPHPExcel) {
//get only the Cell Collection
$cell_collection = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCellCollection();
//extract to a PHP readable array format
foreach ($cell_collection as $cell) {
$column = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getColumn();
$row = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getRow();
$data_value = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getValue();
//header will/should be in row 1 only. of course this can be modified to suit your need.
if ($row == 1) {
$header[$row][$column] = $data_value;
} else {
$arr_data[$row][$column] = $data_value;
}
}
// array_shift($arr_data); // removes the 1st/header element
//store the database name and details
$database_data = array(
'db_name'=>$database_name,
'company_id' => $id,
'deleted' => 0,
'date_uploaded'=> $date_uploaded
);
$this->database->insert_db($database_data);
$database_id = $this->db->insert_id();
foreach ($arr_data as $row) {
$insert_data = array(
'company_id' => $this->session->userdata('company_id'),
'number'=>$row['A'],
'province'=>$row['B'],
'district'=>$row['C'],
'ward'=>$row['D'],
'farming_type'=>$row['E'],
'commodity'=>$row['F'],
'database_name'=>$database_name,
'db_id' =>$database_id,
'deleted' => 0,
'date_uploaded'=>$date_uploaded
);
$this->database->insert_csv($insert_data, $id);
}
log_message('info', '*****************************Customer with the ID: '.$this->session->userdata('company_id').' and name: '.get_company_full_name($this->session->userdata('company_id')).' uploaded a csv database. The uploder phone number: '.$this->session->userdata('phone').' The database ID: '.$database_id.' The database name: '.$database_name.'*****************************');
$this->session->set_flashdata('success', 'Data Imported Succesfully');
redirect(base_url().'Databases');
} else{
$data['errors'] = "Error occured";
$data['page_class'] = 'Databases-page';
$data['title'] = 'Databases';
$data['content_view'] = 'Databases/index';
$this->template->admin_template($data);
}
}
else {
$this->session->set_flashdata('errors','File type is not allowed!');
redirect('Databases');
}
}
}
}
I am just looking for a way i can add empty sting values on the empty cells that are coming with null values.

Answer 1

Just use a simple array modifier before it reaches PHPExcel.
If performance is an issue, one may consider not to create multiple functions within array_map(). Note that isset() is extremely fast, and this solutions does not call any other functions at all.
$replacements = array(
'search1' => 'replace1',
'search2' => 'replace2',
'search3' => 'replace3'
);
foreach ($a as $key => $value) {
if (isset($replacements[$value])) {
$a[$key] = $replacements[$value];
}
}
See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/32321702/4272537