I have a bunch of arrays, which are stored in different variables like $required, $reserved, etc...
I would like to allow (inside a function) an array of options to be passed (like $options = array('required', 'reserved')), and that array would then be used to define which arrays to merge together and return at the end of the function.
So, I have this code in part of the function, that should grab all the options and merge the arrays, using variable variables to get the arrays from the strings passed in the options array):
$array = array();
foreach ($options as $key) {
$array_to_merge = ${$key};
array_merge($array, $array_to_merge);
}
return $array;
However, when I return the $array, it shows 0 items. If I print_r($array_to_merge);, I actually get the entire array as I should.
Does array_merge() simply not work with variable variables, or am I missing something here...?
array_merge returns the merged array, you're not assigning that return value to anything and thus it is being lost.
$array = array_merge($array, $array_to_merge);
should fix your problem.
If I read it right you can also simplify your code (replaces the loop) to just:
$array = call_user_func_array("array_merge", compact($options));
compact replaces the variable variable lookup and gets the list of arrays. And in effect there is only one array_merge call necessary.
Related
I'm trying to store the users's input via the method get in an array to store it and further process it without overwriting the initial get-value. But I dont know how.. do I have to store them in a database to do that? Or can I just push every input into an array?
I believe the following should work for you... This will take all the $_GETs that you supply and put them in a new array so you can modify them without affecting the original $_GET array.
if(is_array($_GET)){
$newArr = $_GET; // modify $newArr['postFieldName'] instead of $_GET['postFieldName'] to preserve original $_GET but have new array.
}
That solution there will dupe the $_GET array. $_GET is just an internal PHP array of data, as is $_POST. You could also loop through the GETs if you do not need ALL of the GETs in your new array... You would do this by setting up an accepted array of GETs so you only pull the ones you need (this should be done anyways, as randomly accepting GETs from a form can lead to some trouble if you are also using the GETs for database/sql functions or anything permission based).
if(is_array($_GET) && count($_GET) > 0){
$array = array();
$theseOnly = array("postName", "postName2");
foreach($_GET as $key => $value){
if(!isset($array[$key]) && in_array($key, $theseOnly)){ // only add to new array if they are in our $theseOnly array.
$array[$key] = $value;
}
}
print_r($array);
} else {
echo "No $_GET found.";
}
I would just add to what #Nerdi.org said.
Specifically the second part, instead of looping through the array you can use either array_intersect_key or array_diff_key
$theseOnly = array("postName", "postName2");
$get = array_intersect_key( $_GET, array_flip($theseOnly);
//Or
$get = array_diff_key( $_GET, array_flip($theseOnly);
array_intersect_key
array_intersect_key() returns an array containing all the entries of array1 which have keys that are present in all the arguments.
So this one returns only elements you put in $theseOnly
array_diff_key
Compares the keys from array1 against the keys from array2 and returns the difference. This function is like array_diff() except the comparison is done on the keys instead of the values.
So this one returns the opposite or only elements you don't put in $theseOnly
And
array_flip
array_flip() returns an array in flip order, i.e. keys from array become values and values from array become keys.
This just takes the array of names with no keys (it has numeric keys by default), and swaps the key and the value, so
$theseOnly = array_flip(array("postName", "postName2"));
//becomes
$theseOnly = array("postName"=>0, "postName2"=>1);
We need the keys this way so they match what's in the $_GET array. We could always write the array that way, but if your lazy like me then you can just flip it.
session_start();
if(!isset($_SESSION['TestArray'])) $_SESSION['TestArray'] = array();
if(is_array($_GET)){
$_SESSION['TestArray'][] = $_GET;
}
print_r($_SESSION['TestArray']);
Thanks everybody for helping! This worked for me!
I need to remove a element from an associative array with an string structure.
Example:
$array = array(
"one"=>array("Hello", "world"),
"two"=>"Hi"
)
I want to create a function that removes the elements like this:
function removeElement($p) {
// With the information provided in $p something like this should happen
// unset($array["one"]["hello"])
}
removeElement("one.hello");
Your base array is associative, the inner array (key one) is not, its a indexed array, which you can not access via ["hello"] but rather [0].
You can remove the hello value by using the unset function, but the indexes will stay as they are:
$array = ['Hello', 'World']; // array(0: Hello, 1: World)
unset($array[0]); // Array is now array(1: World)
If you wish to keep unset and keep the array indexes in order, you can fetch the values using the array_values function after unset:
unset($array[0]);
$array = array_values($array); // array(0: World)
Or you could use array_splice.
When it comes to using a string as key for multidimensional array with a dot-separator I'd recommend taking a look at laravels Arr::forget method which does pretty much exactly what you are asking about.
This would be a static solution to your question, in any case, you need to use explode.
function removeElement($p, $array) {
$_p = explode('.', $p);
return unset($array[$_p[0]][$_p[1]]);
}
But bear in mind, this doesn't work if you have more in $p (like: foo.bar.quux)
I have an array that I would like to clear the values out of and I'm wondering what the best way to accomplish this is.
I tried setting it to nothing:
$array = array();
... later on
$array = "";
Afterwards I'll add new values to it later:
foreach($something as $thing):
$array[] = $thing['item'];
endforeach;
And it seems to have done what I needed it too. But after a quick search online I'm seeing a lot of recommendations to do the following instead:
unset($array);
$array = array();
Is there any difference between this action and the one I performed up top?
Setting $array to "" sets your variable to a string value, and unset removes the variable. Since you are just trying to clear the array, then $array = array() should be good enough.
I believe that array() explicitly defines it as an array. Your first statement $array = "" sets it to an empty string. Using unset will "reset" the variable, so it's neither a string or array until you assign a value to it, and $array = array() simply defines it as a new blank array.
I am trying to understand the following code in PHP. Here is the overview,
There are 2 arrays, which consists of key values pairs in the form, $k => $v
These 2 arrays are merged together using array_merge function to form the third array.
Now, this array is passed to a function. Only one argument, the array name is passed.
Here is the code (please note that this code is only a concept, not the real code):
<?php
function test(&$myArray, 0)
{
reset($myArray);
foreach ($myArray as $k => $v)
{
....
}
}
$arr3 = array_merge((array) $arr1, (array) $arr2);
test($arr3)
}
Questions:
The function is defined in such a way, that it expects two arguments, however we are passing only one argument. Is it because the second argument is always 0 as initialized in the function prototype? So, there is no need to pass the same number of arguments?
Here the array name is passed. My guess is that, it will pass a pointer to the first element of the array (base address of the array in memory) to the function.
In this case, if you look at the prototype, the array name is preceded with an ampersand. So, this means, a reference to the array, the address?
Why is it necessary to call the reset function on the array. Is it because the array_merge function which was used to form this array was called before the test function? So, it moved the pointer in the array ahead of the first element as a result of merging $arr1 and $arr2?
There is no value returned in the function, test. So, does it modify the value of the original array in the memory itself, and hence there is no need to return an array?
Thanks.
<?php
function test($myArray,$a =0) //passing by value
{
reset($myArray);
return $myArray;
}
$arr3 = test($arr3); //call n store it back it in $arr3
function test(&$myArray,$a =0) //passing by reference
{
reset($myArray);
}
test($arr3); //just call;
?>
In the following script function clean($data) calls it within it, that I understand but how it is cleaning data in the statement $data[clean($key)] = clean($value);??? Any help is appreciated.. I am trying to figure it out as I am new to PHP. Regards.
if (ini_get('magic_quotes_gpc')) {
function clean($data) {
if (is_array($data)) {
foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
$data[clean($key)] = clean($value);
}
} else {
$data = stripslashes($data);
}
return $data;
}
$_GET = clean($_GET);
$_POST = clean($_POST);
$_REQUEST = clean($_REQUEST);
$_COOKIE = clean($_COOKIE);
}
Your Question:
So if I undertsand correctly you want to know what is the function doing in the line
$data[clean($key)] = clean($value);
The Answer:
See the prime purpose of the function is to remove slashes from string with php's stripslashes method.
If the input item is an array then it tries to clean the keys of the array as well as the values of the array by calling itself on the key and value.
In php arrays are like hashmaps and you can iterate over the key and value both with foreach loop like following
foreach ($data as $key => $value) {....}
So if you want to summarize the algorithm in your code snippet it would be as under
Check if the input is array. If it is not then go to step 4
For each item of array clean the key and value by calling clean method on it (Recursively)
Return the array
clean the input string using stripslashes method
5 return the cleaned input
From my understanding it's not cleaning the key but creates a new element with a clean key while the uncleaned key remains.
$a['foo\bar'] : val\ue
becomes
$a['foo\bar'] : val\ue
$a['foobar'] : value
Someone correct me if im wrong.
Maybe you'll understand the code better if it's put this way:
foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
$key = clean($key); // Clean the key, the
$value = clean($value); // Clean the value
$data[$key] = $value; // Put it in the array that will be returned
}
Assuming you have an array like this:
$_POST = array(0 => 'foo', 1 => array('bar' => 'baz'));
the following will happen:
Call clean($_POST);
call clean 0
call clean 'foo'
$return[0] = 'foo'
call clean 1
call clean 'bar'
call clean 'baz'
$return[1] = array('bar' => 'baz');
You should probably read this: http://www.codewalkers.com/c/a/Miscellaneous/Recursion-in-PHP/
The main purpose of the function is to clean an associative array or a single variable. An associative array is an array where you define keys and values for that keys; so are special arrays used in PHP like $_GET $_POST and so on.
The meaning of "cleaning" is to check whether magic quotes are active - this causes some characters in these arrays to be escaped with backslashes when you post dynamic data to a PHP page.
$_GET["Scarlett"] = "O' Hara" becomes with magic quotes $_GET["Scarlett"] = "O\' Hara"
So if magic quotes are active, the function takes care of this, and slashes are stripped so that the strings retain their correct, not escaped value.
The algorithm checks if the data passed to the function is an array, if not it cleans directly the value.
$string = "Escapes\'in\'a string";
clean($string);
is it an array? No. Then return stripslashes(my data)
$array = array("key\'with\'escapes"=>"value\'with\'escapes", "another\'key"=>"another value");
clean($array)
is it an array? Yes. So cycle through each key/value pair with foreach, take the key and clean it like the first example; then take the value and do the same and put the cleaned versions in the array.
As you see the function has two different behaviours differentiated by that "if" statement.
If you pass an array, you activate the second behaviour that in turns passes couples of strings, not arrays, triggering the first behaviour.
My thought is that this function doesn't work properly, though. Anyone got the same sensation? I have it not tested yet but it seems it's not "cleaning" the key/values in the sense of replacing them, but adds the cleaned versions along the uncleaned ones.