Array not populating correctly - php

Question

I am using the following code to populate an array:
$number = count ($quantitys);
$count = "0";
while ($count < $number) {
$ref[$count] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$count]);
$count = $count +1;
}
postcodeUnknown returns the first row from a mysql query, using a table prefix and an element from an array named postcodes. $postcodes contains strings that should return a different row each time though the loop.
Which I'd expect to create an array similar to:
Array ([0] =>
Array ([0] => some data [1] => more data)
[1] =>
Array ([0] => second row [1] => even more...)
)
But it's not. Instead it's creating a strange array containing the first results over and over until the condition is met, eg:
simplified result of print_r($ref);
Array (
[0] => Array ([0] => some data [1] => more data)
)
Array(
[0] => Array (
[0] => the first arrays content...
[1] => ...repeated over again until the loop ends
)
)
And I'm at a loss to understand why. Anyone know better than me.

Answer 1

Try
$number = count ($quantitys);
$count = "0";
while ($count < $number) {
$ref1[$count] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$count]);
$ref2[] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$count]);
$ref3[$count][] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$count]);
$count = $count +1;
}
echo "<pre>";
print_r($ref1);
print_r($ref2);
print_r($ref3);
echo "</pre>";
Try that to see if any of those get an output you are looking for.

Answer 2

Uh, add a print to postcodeUnknown and check if its actually passing different postcodes or the same thing all the time?
ie
function postcodeUnkown($a,$b){
echo var_dump($a).var_dump($b);
//the rest
}
Also, why two different variables? ($quantitys and $postcodes).
Also, you might want to replace the while loop with for:
for($i=0;$i<$number;$i++){
$ref[$i] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$i]);
}

Answer 3

your variable count should not be a string, try this
$number = count ($quantitys);
$count = 0;
while ($count < $number) {
$ref[$count] = postcodeUnknown ($prefix, $postcodes[$count]);
$count = $count +1;
}