PHP array_merge_recursive with numeric keys - php

Question

So I'm suppose to build a multidimensional array dynamically from a text file, and everything works perfectly except that the numeric keys are screwing me over...
The text file looks something like this:
a=1
b.c=2
b.d.0.e=3
b.d.0.f=4
b.d.1.e=5
b.d.1.f=6
As the array_merge_recursive doesn't work with numeric keys, the output is like:
array(2) {
["a"]=>
string(3) "1"
["b"]=>
array(2) {
["c"]=>
string(3) "2"
["d"]=>
array(4) {
[0]=>
array(1) {
["e"]=>
string(9) "3"
}
[1]=>
array(1) {
["f"]=>
string(4) "4"
}
[2]=> array(1) {
["e"]=>
string(8) "5"
}
[3]=>
array(1) {
["f"]=>
string(9) "6"
}}}}
Is there any easy solution to make the output like...?
array(2) {
["a"]=>
string(3) "1"
["b"]=>
array(2) {
["c"]=>
string(3) "2"
["d"]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
array(2) {
["e"]=>
string(9) "3"
["f"]=>
string(4) "4"
}
[1]=>
array(3) {
["e"]=>
string(9) "5"
["f"]=>
string(4) "6"
}}}}
Thanks

Answer 1

You could break each bit into its components and build up the array one step at a time.
$path = "b.d.0.e";
$val = 3;
$output = array();
$parts = explode(".", $path);
// store a pointer to where we currently are in the array.
$curr =& $output;
// loop through up to the second last $part
for ($i = 0, $l = count($parts); $i < $l - 1; ++$i) {
$part = $parts[$i];
// convert numeric strings into integers
if (is_numeric($part)) {
$part = (int) $part;
}
// if we haven't visited here before, make an array
if (!isset($curr[$part])) {
$curr[$part] = array();
}
// jump to the next step
$curr =& $curr[$part];
}
// finally set the value
$curr[$parts[$l - 1]] = $val;
My output, using the same input as yours:
Array (
[a] => 1
[b] => Array (
[c] => 2
[d] => Array (
[0] => Array (
[e] => 3
[f] => 4
)
[1] => Array (
[g] => 5
[h] => 6
)
)
)
)

Answer 2

Or you could use eval():
$raw_data = file($txt_file, FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES);
foreach ($raw_data as $line) {
list($keys, $value) = explode('=', $line);
$keys = explode('.', $keys);
$arr_str = '$result';
foreach ($keys as $key) {
if (ctype_digit($key)) {
$arr_str .= "[" . $key . "]";
} else {
$arr_str .= "['" . $key . "']";
}
}
eval($arr_str . ' = $value;');
}
print_r($result);

Answer 3

I know this is an old one, but the best solution I have found is to use array_replace_recursive. It will achieve what you are looking to do:
$start = array(
"600" => array("total" => 100),
"700" => array("total" => 200)
);
$finish = array(
"600" => array("average" => 25),
"700" => array("average" => 50)
);
$out = array_replace_recursive($start,$finish);
var_dump($out):
array(2) {
[600]=>
array(2) {
["total"]=>
int(100)
["average"]=>
int(25)
}
[700]=>
array(2) {
["total"]=>
int(200)
["average"]=>
int(50)
}
}