build dynamic associative multi-dimensional array - php

Question

I have seen a lot of questions regarding multi-dimensional arrays, and how to build them, and whilst trying some of the answers I still get an error. So I am thinking what I am trying to do is not really possible, and perhaps I should use JSON instead?
I have data from a source which is returned as a JSON object. It has lots data in it, of which i only need a small amount. Now I need it sorted into dates:
$temp_array = array();
foreach ($data as $booking_id => $booking) {
$setdate = '';
$b = $this->getBooking($booking_id);
foreach ($b as $k => $v) {
$setdate = date('d-m-Y', $booking['start_date']);
if(!in_array($setdate, $temp_array)) {
$temp_array = array('date' => $setdate);
}
$temp_array['date'][] = array($k => $v);
}
}
I need the date to be the first node of the array, and the data to be in the second node. When a new date is found in the iteration, it creates another new node:
[0] => 1/10/16
[0] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[1] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[2] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[1] => 7/10/16
[0] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[1] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[2] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[2] => 14/10/16
[0] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[1] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[2] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[3] => 21/10/16
[0] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[1] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
[2] => array( ['key'] =>['value'])
I seem unable to get anywhere with it as the errors I get refer to [] operator not supported for strings or Warning: Attempt to modify property of non-object in depending on what other examples on here I have found.
I think the question here, is that the data is not in any order, so it may populate node [0], and then [3], and then back to [0], and so on.
Any ideas what on earth I am doing wrong ?
Thanks
Addy
Update
Using this code, which is the middle foreach:
$b = $this->getBooking($booking_id);
foreach ($b as $k => $v) {
$setdate = date('d-m-Y', strtotime($booking['date_desc']));
if(!in_array($setdate, $temp_dates)) {
array_push($temp_dates, $setdate);
$temp_array[]['date'] = $setdate;
}
}
Gives me this result:
Array ( [0] => Array ( [date] => 22-10-2016 )
[1] => Array ( [date] => 01-10-2016 )
[2] => Array ( [date] => 08-10-2016 )
[3] => Array ( [date] => 15-10-2016 )
)
Which is correct. So now, I need to add, each time a date arrives which $tem_array has a heading for, add another array:
Array ( [0] => Array ( [date] => 22-10-2016 ) => [0] => $data
[1] => $data
[2] => $data
[1] => Array ( [date] => 01-10-2016 ) => [0] => $data
[1] => $data
[2] => $data
[2] => Array ( [date] => 08-10-2016 ) => [0] => $data
[3] => Array ( [date] => 15-10-2016 ) => [0] => $data
[1] => $data
)
Hope this explains it a little better. I have the first bit correct, but when a date is already in there, I need to move up a node.

Answer 1

I think I was over complicating it. This is the final code which did want I wanted.
function sortcf($data) {
$temp_array = array();
$temp_dates = array();
foreach ($data as $booking_id => $booking) {
$b = $this->getBooking($booking_id);
$setdate = date('d-m-Y', strtotime($booking['date_desc']));
$temp_array[$setdate][] = ($b);
}
$this->wcg_am_data = $temp_array;
}