Group PHP arrays by key value - php

Question

Basically I'm trying to group my arrays like this:
Shopping
Amazon
Social
Amoeblo
American express
By using below PHP code:
<?php
echo '<ul id="list"><h2 class="searchresults"></h2>';
foreach($records as $catval) {
$sitechar = $catval->site_category;
echo '<h3 id="disappear">'. strtoupper($sitechar) .'</h3>';
echo '<li class="siteli"><a href="#" class="add">';
echo '<p id="text-site">'.$catval->site_name. '</p></a>';
echo '</li>';
}
echo '</ul>';
?>
But I'm getting values only like below.
Shopping
Amazon
Social
Amoeblo
Social
American express
I'm not getting the exact PHP sorting to use for this.

Answer 1

I would create a new array with categories as keys for arrays with the sites.
<?php
$arr = array();
// First create multidimensional array with categories as keys for site arrays
foreach($records as $catval) {
$sitechar = $catval->site_category;
if (!array_key_exists($sitechar, $arr)) {
// Set new array for a category if it does not exist
$arr[$sitechar] = array();
}
// Add site to category
$arr[$sitechar][] = array(
"name"=>$catval->site_name,
"image"=>$catval->site_img
);
}
// Then iterate the new array of categories
echo ("<ul>");
foreach($arr as $category => $sites) {
echo("<h3>" . $site_category "</h3>");
// Iterate array of sites
foreach($sites as $site) {
echo("<li>" . $site["name"] . "-" , $site["image"] . "</li>");
}
}
echo("</ul>");
?>

Answer 2

You can do it using a foreach and ksort
Let $your_array be the array you mentioned above
$res_array = array();
foreach($your_array as $val){
$res_array[$val->site_category][] = $val->site_name;
}
ksort($res_array);
print_r($res_array);
OR search for multisort in php which will solve your problem :)

Answer 3

$tmp = null;
echo '<ul id="list"><h2 class="searchresults"></h2>';
foreach($records as $catval) {
$myHtml = makeHtml($catval,$tmp);
echo $myHtml;
$tmp = $catval->site_category;
}
echo '</ul>';
function makeHtml($catval,$tmp){
if($tmp != $catval->site_category){ $html .= '<h3 id="disappear">'. strtoupper($catval->site_category) .'</h3>';}
$html .='<li class="siteli"><p id="text-site">'.$catval->site_name. '</p></li>';
return $html;
}