Strange array layout while using array_push with multidimensional arrays - php

Question

Sorry if there's too much code in this question. Arrays takes up a lot of space and I'm trying to explain this as thorough as I can. I'm trying to save all of the addresses user entered into one multidimensional array, so I could easily loop trough them after. Final result of what I'm trying to achieve in theory looks like this:
array(3) {[0]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "a"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "a"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "a"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}
[1]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "b"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "b"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "b"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}
[2]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "c"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "c"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "c"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}}
I could easily replicate this with simple code
$adresai = array();
$adresas =array(
'street_address' => 'a',
'city_name' => 'a',
'zip' => 'a',
'country_select' => 'a');
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
but when I'm trying to apply this logic in wordpress I get really strange layout, basically a mess.
array(1) {
[0]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "a"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "a"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "a"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}
[1]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "b"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "b"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "b"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}
}
[1]=>
array(4) {
["street_address"]=>
string(1) "c"
["city_name"]=>
string(1) "c"
["zip"]=>
string(1) "c"
["country_select"]=>
string(2) "LT"
}}}
My snippet for saving user entered address and merging with previous ones:
$adresai =get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'stakliu_adresai');
$adresas =array(
'street_address' => $_POST['snr_gatve'],
'city_name' => $_POST['snr_miestas'],
'zip' => $_POST['snr_pastokodas'],
'country_select' => $_POST['snr_salis']);
if ($adresai == array()){
$adresai = $adresas;
}
else{
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
}
update_user_meta(get_current_user_id(),'stakliu_adresai', $adresai );
What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

I would say part of your issue lies in:
if ($adresai == array()) {
$adresai = $adresas;
}else ...
You are planning on storing multiple addresses. An array of arrays. If the value does not exist, you are simply setting it to an array, as opposed to adding it to an array. Since you are expecting an empty array if nothing is set, you can simply push regardless, like so:
$adresai =get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'stakliu_adresai');
$adresas = array(
'street_address' => $_POST['snr_gatve'],
'city_name' => $_POST['snr_miestas'],
'zip' => $_POST['snr_pastokodas'],
'country_select' => $_POST['snr_salis']
);
//if the array is empty, this address will become the first value
//if the array is not empty, this address will be added to the array
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
//save
update_user_meta(get_current_user_id(),'stakliu_adresai', $adresai );

Answer 2

So as naththedeveloper advised, I added parameter $single = true, which returns meta value without additional array "wrapping". But when meta is not set yet, function returns an empty string. To avoid errors I still had to use conditional statement. I finally got it working with this:
$adresai = get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'stakliu_adresai', true);
$adresas = array(
'street_address' => $_POST['snr_gatve'],
'city_name' => $_POST['snr_miestas'],
'zip' => $_POST['snr_pastokodas'],
'country_select' => $_POST['snr_salis']);
// checking if value was not set earlier
if ($adresai == ''){
$adresai = array();
}
array_push($adresai, $adresas);
update_user_meta(get_current_user_id(),'stakliu_adresai', $adresai );