PHP- Checking for sub-arrays in a multidimensional array - php

Question

I have an array which contains the data to build a nav menu on the site.
This is how it's setup:
$menu = array();
$menu['0']['label'] = 'Home';
$menu['0']['icon'] = 'fa-home';
$menu['0']['id'] = '';
$menu['0']['class'] = '';
$menu['0']['url'] = '/index.php';
$menu['0']['blank'] = 0;
$menu['1']['label'] = 'Admin';
$menu['1']['icon'] = 'fa-user';
$menu['1']['id'] = '';
$menu['1']['class'] = '';
$menu['1']['url'] = '#';
$menu['1']['blank'] = 0;
$menu['1']['0']['label'] = 'Notes';
$menu['1']['0']['icon'] = '';
$menu['1']['0']['id'] = '';
$menu['1']['0']['class'] = '';
$menu['1']['0']['url'] = '/notes.php';
$menu['1']['0']['blank'] = 0;
$menu['1']['1']['label'] = 'Testing';
$menu['1']['1']['icon'] = '';
$menu['1']['1']['id'] = '';
$menu['1']['1']['class'] = '';
$menu['1']['1']['url'] = '/testing.php';
$menu['1']['1']['blank'] = 0;
$menu['2']['label'] = 'Resources';
$menu['2']['icon'] = 'fa-thumb-tack';
$menu['2']['id'] = '';
$menu['2']['class'] = '';
$menu['2']['url'] = '#';
$menu['2']['blank'] = 0;
Where $menu['0'], $menu['1'], etc. are all shown on the main nav menu. Any array underneath them, such as $menu['1']['0'] are all submenus under their parent.
I am trying to check each main element on the array to see if there is a sub-array (if there are any submenus to create).
foreach ($menu as $item) {
if (is_array($item)) {
foreach ($item as $subitem) {
print_r($subitem); // See notes below
}
}
}
What I am trying to do with print_r($subitem) is come up with an array like:
$subitem['label'] = 'Notes';
$subitem['icon'] = '';
$subitem['id'] = '';
$subitem['class'] = '';
$subitem['url'] = '/notes.php';
$subitem['blank'] = 0;
Ideas?

Answer 1

You should reorganize your array:
$menu[0] = ['items' => [], 'submenus' => []];
So all menus have an items key and a submenus key. In the submenus array, you should put an array that looks identical (that is, has and 'items' key and 'submenus' key).
That way you can just count() the submenus key and know if there are any submenus to create. It also will let you nest them as far as you want if you write a recursive function for the menu.
For example:
<?php
// feed this an initialized menu, and an array of items
function addMenuItem($menu, $options) {
$newItem = makeMenu();
$newItem['items'] = $options;
$menu[] = $newItem;
return $menu;
}
// the parent menu is first, submenu second
function addSubMenu($menu, $pos, $subMenu) {
$menu[$pos]['submenus'][] = $subMenu;
return $menu;
}
// create a 'valid' but empty menu array
function makeMenu() {
return array('items' => array(), 'submenus' => array());
}
?>
As a side note, this is something that would work really well in Classes instead of functions and arrays.

Answer 2

I think your current structure may already be very usable. Here is a modified version of your loop using the same data:
foreach ($menu as $parent_item) {
echo '<h2>Parent Items</h2>';
foreach ($parent_item as $key => $item) {
if (is_array($item)) {
echo '<br><h2>Subitems</h2>';
foreach ($item as $subkey => $subitem) {
echo "$subkey = $subitem<br>";
}
} else {
echo "$key = $item<br>";
}
}
echo '<br>';
}
And here is the output:
Parent Itemslabel = Homeicon = fa-homeid = class = url = /index.phpblank = 0Parent Itemslabel = Adminicon = fa-userid = class = url = #blank = 0Subitemslabel = Notesicon = id = class = url = /notes.phpblank = 0Subitemslabel = Testingicon = id = class = url = /testing.phpblank = 0Parent Itemslabel = Resourcesicon = fa-thumb-tackid = class = url = #blank = 0

Answer 3

try this code. It is alot easier to manage.
$menu = array('menu1'=>array(
'label'=>'Home',
'icon'=>'fa-home',
'id'=>'',
'class'=>'',
'url'=>'/index.php',
'blank'=>0),
'menu2'=>array(
'label'=>'Home',
'icon'=>'fa-home',
'id'=>'',
'class'=>'',
'url'=>'/index.php',
'blank'=>0),
'menu3'=>array(
'label'=>'Home',
'icon'=>'fa-home',
'id'=>'',
'class'=>'',
'url'=>'/index.php',
'blank'=>0),
);
//print_r($menu);
Array
(
[menu1] => Array
(
[label] => Home
[icon] => fa-home
[id] =>
[class] =>
[url] => /index.php
[blank] => 0
)
[menu2] => Array
(
[label] => Home
[icon] => fa-home
[id] =>
[class] =>
[url] => /index.php
[blank] => 0
)
[menu3] => Array
(
[label] => Home
[icon] => fa-home
[id] =>
[class] =>
[url] => /index.php
[blank] => 0
)

Answer 4

Consider this structure for your navigation links:
$links = [
'primary_navigation' => [
'children' => [
[
'label' => 'link'
],
[
'label' => 'link',
'children' => [
['label' => 'sublink'],
['label' => 'sublink'],
],
],
],
],
'secondary_navigation' => [
'children' => [
[
'label' => 'link'
],
[
'label' => 'link',
'children' => [
[
'label' => 'sublink'
],
[
'label' => 'sublink',
'children' => [/** ... **/],
],
],
],
],
],
];
This way you always know about your children and its obvious how to find them recursively.