Create Multidimensional Array in PHP with Dynamic Data - php

Question

I am preparing a menu system for a restaurant which provides food on a monthly basis. This is my problem:
There are different packages that the restaurant offers. Each package consists of a number of servings each day. For example, package A serves 3 times a day, whereas package B serves 2 times a day. The online ordering system that I am building is a multi-page ordering system divided as per the number of days. So for 20 days, there are 20 pages. Once the selection of one day is completed, I want to store the selection in a multi-dimensional array. Refer to the below structure for reference.
$selection_package_a = array(
"Serving_Day1" => array (
"Serving_1" => Pizza,
"Serving_2" => Salad,
"Serving_3" => Smoothies
),
"Serving_Day2" => array (
"Serving_1" => Salad,
"Serving_2" => Juices,
"Serving_3" => Fruits
),
);
$selection_package_b = array(
"Serving_Day1" => array (
"Serving_1" => Pizza,
"Serving_2" => Salad
),
"Serving_Day2" => array (
"Serving_1" => Salad,
"Serving_2" => Juices
),
);
"Serving_Day1" to "Serving_Day20" depends on the number of days served during a month. So if the package serves only 10 days a month, then "Serving_Day10" will be the last field.
Within "Serving_Day1", "Serving_1" and so on depends on the number of servings stored in the database.
Taking the answer of #yarwest a step forward, I have pasted the progress till now. I guess it is just one more step to acheive the desired output.
$meals_selected_array = [];
$total_meals_array = [];
if( $num_row_packages >= 1 ) {
while($row_packages = mysqli_fetch_array ($result_packages)) {
$package_id = $row_packages['package_id'];
$package_name = $row_packages['package_name'];
$servings_count = $row_packages['servings_count'];
$days_served = $row_packages['days_served'];
//repeating it based on the number of days_served
for ($i = 1; $i <= $days_served; $i++) {
//how to define/declare $total_meals_array['day_' . $i]
//adding user selection for the day in $meals_selected_array array
for ($y = 1; $y <= $servings_count; $y++) {
$meals_selected_array["meal_id_day_" .$i] = "Not Available";
$meals_selected_array["meal_code_day_" .$i] = "Not Available";
$meals_selected_array["meal_type_day_" .$i] = "Meal";
}
//what to do either here or after the below loop in order to add $meals_selected_array above values to $total_meals_array['day_' . $i].
}
}
}
When I $print_r($meals_selected_array), I get the result as an Associative Array with perfect labelling and values. Now I just have to add this Associative Array to each day to make my primary Array as a Multidimensional Array.
So my desired output for $total_meals_array is as below:
Array
(
[day_1] => Array
(
[meal_id_day_1] => "1" //This will be my Unique ID of selected meal
[meal_code_day_1] => "Pizza" //This will be the name of meal
[meal_type_day_1] => "Main Course" //This will be the serving Type
)
[day_2] => Array
(
[meal_id_day_2] => "4" //This will be my Unique ID of selected meal
[meal_code_day_2] => "Lemonade" //This will be the name of meal
[meal_type_day_2] => "Drinks" //This will be the serving Type
)
[day_3] => Array
(
[meal_id_day_3] => "8" //This will be my Unique ID of selected meal
[meal_code_day_3] => "Custard" //This will be the name of meal
[meal_type_day_3] => "Dessert" //This will be the serving Type
)
)

Answer 1

Important note beforehand
It is very unsafe to use mysqli functions. They can easily be manipulated with, for example, SQL injections. Instead use PDO and Prepared Statements.
The solution
You retrieved a package from the database.
The next step is to loop based on the amount of servings and amount of days to create a new array to hold the package.
if( $num_row_packages >= 1 ) {
while($row_packages = mysqli_fetch_array ($result_packages)) {
$package_id = $row_packages['package_id'];
$package_name = $row_packages['package_name'];
$servings_count = $row_packages['servings_count'];
$days_served = $row_packages['days_served'];
//Create a new array to hold the servings skeleton
$servingsArray = [];
//For every serving add an empty string to the servingArray
for($i = 0; $i < $servings_count; $i++){
array_push(
$servingsArray,
""
);
}
//Create a new array to hold the package skeleton
$selection_package = [];
//For every day add an servingArray to the package array
for($i = 0; $i < $days_served; $i++){
array_push(
$selection_package,
$servingsArray
);
}
}
}
This will create an entirely empty array according to the specified structure.

Answer 2

Now here is the code that works best in the given situation.
Situation
The Order Form is multipage depending on the number of days served based on the package selected. Details of each package are stored in the database with the following fields:
package_id (Unique Field)
package_name (Name of the Package, e.g. Package A)
servings_count (Total Servings in a Day)
days_served (Number of Days Served in a Month)
In order to carry forward the selection of meals for each day and serving of that day to store as an Order in the database, I required a Multidimensional Array of PHP that can be defined/populated dynamically.
Expected output is something like:
Array
(
[Day 1] => Array
(
[meal_id_1] => Unique ID //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_code_1] => Meal Name //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_type_1] => Meal //prefilled based on the selected package
[meal_id_2] => Not Available //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_code_2] => 2 //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_type_2] => Meal //prefilled based on the selected package
)
[Day 2] => Array
(
[meal_id_1] => Unique ID //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_code_1] => Meal Name //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_type_1] => Meal //prefilled based on the selected package
[meal_id_2] => Not Available //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_code_2] => 2 //to be replaced with user selection
[meal_type_2] => Meal //prefilled based on the selected package
)
This above array has been created 100% dynamically based on the explained structure and number of servings and days. Below is the code with some explanation.
First, we have to declare two PHP Arrays.
$total_meals_array = []; //Primary, Multidimension Array
$meals_selected_array = []; //Meals Details Array to be used as primary array's key value.
After doing this, run MySQL query to read packages from the database. Now based on the result, do the following:
$total_meals_array = []; //Primary, Multidimension Array
$meals_selected_array = []; //Meals Details Array to be used as primary array's key value.
if( $num_row_packages >= 1 ) {
while($row_packages = mysqli_fetch_array ($result_packages)) {
$package_id = $row_packages['package_id'];
$package_name = $row_packages['package_name'];
$servings_count = $row_packages['servings_count'];
$days_served = $row_packages['days_served'];
//this for loop is to repeat the code inside `$days_served` number of times. This will be defining our primary and main Multidimensional Array `$total_meals_array`.
for ($y = 1; $y <= $days_served; $y++) {
//once inside the code, now is the time to define/populate our secondary array that will be used as primary array's key value. `$i`, which is the meal count of each day, will be added to the key name to make it easier to read it later. This will be repeated `$meals_count` times.
for ($i = 1; $i <= $meals_count; $i++) {
$meals_selected_array["meal_id_" . $i] = "Unique ID";
$meals_selected_array["meal_code_" . $i] = "Meal Name";
$meals_selected_array["meal_type_" . $i] = "Meal";
}
//once our secondary array, which will be used as the primary array's key value, is ready, we will start defining/populating our Primary Multidimensional Array with Keys Named based on `$days_served`.
$total_meals_array["Day " . $y] = $meals_selected_array;
}
}
}
That's it! Our dynamic Multidimensional Array is ready and can be viewed by simply the below code:
print "<pre>";
print_r($total_meals_array);
print "</pre>";
Thank you everyone, specially #yarwest for being kind enough to answer my question.