Break array down into unique arrays for database insert - php

Question

I have an array like this:
Array
(
[year] => 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
[make] => Ford
[model] => Mustang, Mustang Cobra, Mustang GT
[engine] => 302, 302 H/O, V6
)
I am wanting to insert unique rows into my database with all the possible solutions in the array.
For example:
id year make model engine
1 1994 Ford Mustang 302
2 1994 Ford Mustang Cobra 302
3 1994 Ford Mustang GT 302
4 1994 Ford Mustang 302 H/O
...and so on
I need to be able to break down that array to get all possible solutions into a unique row. Some columns may not have a value. For example, the array may only contain several Make's. I would like to insert all the unique possibilities into an array.
Array
(
[0] => 1994, Ford, Mustang, 302
[1] => and so on...
)

Answer 1

Here is simple way, without database part, but I hope you can do that yourself:
$arr = array
(
'year' => '1994, 1995, 1996, 1997',
'make' => 'Ford',
'model' =>'Mustang, Mustang Cobra, Mustang GT',
'engine' => '302, 302 H/O, V6'
);
$years = explode(',',$arr['year']);
$makes = explode(',',$arr['make']);
$models = explode(',',$arr['model']);
$engines = explode(',',$arr['engine']);
foreach($years as $year) {
foreach($makes as $make) {
foreach($models as $model) {
foreach($engines as $engine) {
echo 'INSERT INTO yourtable '.$year.', '.$make.', '.$model.', '.$engine."\n";
}
}
}
}

Answer 2

If you need "all unique possibilities" (combinations), the most direct approach is to iterate your information array nesting each item the other. And for each combination created from an iteration, create an array with the collected information and add to a final array. Eg:in kind of pseudo code
finalArray = new array()
foreach(year as y)
foreach(make as m)
foreach(model as mo)
foreach(engine as e)
newArray = new array(y,m,mo,e)
add newArray to finalArray
hope it heps you