Bidimensional array generated dynamically - php

Question

I'm working with dynamic data, so I'm trying to put that data into a bidimensional array.
I need a structure like this:
$array['something1'] = array ( 'hi1' => 'there1' , 'hi2' => 'there2' );
All this data is dynamically generated by a foreach, ex.:
$list = array ( 0 => 'something;hi1;there1' , 1 => 'something;hi2;there2' );
foreach ( $list as $key => $data )
{
// extract data
$columns = explode ( ';' , $data );
// set data
$items[$columns[0]] = array ( $columns[1] => $columns[2] );
}
How Can I do the previously described?
Right now the script is stepping over the previous key getting something like this:
$array['something1'] = array ( 'hi2' => 'there2' );
I hope you can help me.
Thanks.

Answer 1

The problem is that you are overwriting the value for the key when it already exists. You should modify to something like:
foreach ( $list as $key => $data )
{
// extract data
$columns = explode ( ';' , $data );
$outer_array_key = $columns[0];
$key = $columns[1];
$value = $columns[2];
// set data
$items[$outer_array_key][$key] = $value;
}

Answer 2

Here is how it can be done:
$list = array ( 0 => 'something;hi1;there1' , 1 => 'something;hi2;there2' );
$newlist =array();
foreach($list as $k=>$v){
$items = explode(';',$v);
$newlist[$items[0]][$items[1]]=$items[2];
}
echo "<pre>";
print_r($newlist);
echo "</pre>";
//output
/*
Array
(
[something] => Array
(
[hi1] => there1
[hi2] => there2
)
)*/
?>

Answer 3

Change your set data with something like this :
if(!array_key_exists($columns[0], $items))
$items[$columns[0]] = array();
$items[$columns[0]][$columns[1]] = $columns[2];