Multi dimensional array. What am I doing wrong? - php

Question

I have a function:
function getDecision($num_players, $decisionType, $stage){
echo "in the function 1: ".$num_players."<br/>";
echo "in the function 2: ".$decisionType."<br/>";
echo "in the function 3: ".$stage."<br/>";
$x = mysql_query("
SELECT `decisionValue` FROM `teamdecision` WHERE `decisionType` = '$decisionType' && `period`= '$stage'
")or die($x."<br/><br/>".mysql_error());
$y = array();
$i="0";
while ($i<($num_players) && $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($x))
{
$y[$i] = $row['decisionValue'];
$i++;
}
return ($y);
}
Y will be populated with a number of values depending on the $num_players. I am calling the function as follows:
$value = array();
$name = array();
for ($j=0;$j<$num_players;$j++){
for ($i=0;$i<4;$i++){
$name[0] = "SUconsultant";
$name[1] = "marketT";
$name[2] = "sector";
$name[3] = "saleprice";
echo $name[$i]."<br/>";
$value[$i] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$i], $currentStage)."<br/>";
echo "Value = ".$value[$j][$i]."<br/>";
}
}
As you can see I am doing this wrong. I need to output the data located in $value however I am confused with how multi dimensional arrays work. I understand I need to read up on the subject, if possible can you point me to a suitable learning source?
So I changed up the code so that the following is being used to produce an output below:
$value = array();
$name = array();
for ($j=0;$j<$num_players;$j++){
for ($i=0;$i<4;$i++){
$name[0] = "SUconsultant";
$name[1] = "marketT";
$name[2] = "sector";
$name[3] = "saleprice";
echo $name[$i]."<br/>";
$value[$i] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$i], $currentStage)."<br/>";
echo "Value = ".$value[$j][$i]."<br/>";
}
}
I expected to output as follows:
$value[0] should contain $y which then contains each SUconsultant value. $value[1] should contain $y which then contains each marketT value and so on.

Answer 1

for ($i=0;$j<4;$i++){
should be
for ($j=0;$j<4;$j++){
And
$value[$i] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$i], $currentStage)."<br/>";
should be
$value[$j] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$j], $currentStage)."<br/>";

Answer 2

You have a $j in your first for loop, but setting and incrimenting $i in it. Maybe change them to $j as well.
EDIT
It actually looks like you have an issue with where you are returning the data:
echo "Value = ".$value[$j][$i]."<br/>";
This should be (it appears):
for ($f = 0; $f < $num_players; $f++){
echo "Value = ".$value[$i][$f]."<br/>";
}
Since you are currently on $value[$i] by the time you reach this point, then you need it to echo out one for each player.

Answer 3

This solution worked, after a lot of playing around it seems that the [] after of
the value array was also needed? At least I think so
$value = array();
$name = array();
for ($j=0;$j<$num_players;$j++){
for ($i=0;$i<4;$i++){
$name[0] = "SUconsultant";
$name[1] = "marketT";
$name[2] = "sector";
$name[3] = "saleprice";
echo $name[$i]."<br/>";
$value[] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$i], $currentStage);
//echo "Value = ".$value[$i]."<br/>";
echo "<br/><hr/>";
echo "Value = ".$value[$i][$j]."<br/><hr/>";
}
}
Output:
And now I have changed to:
$value[] = getDecision($num_players, $name[$i], $currentStage);
echo "Team ".$j." ".$name[$i]." = ".$value[$i][$j]."<br/>";
To get my eventual goal of: