PHP - Searching A Multidimensional Array

Hi all,

I'm a first time poster here and I would really appreciate some guidance with my latest php challenge! I've spent the entire day googling and reading and to be honest I think I'm really over my head and need the assistance of someone experienced to advise the best way to go!

I have a multi dimensional array that looks like (see below); the array is created by CodeIgniter's database library (the rows returned from a select query) but I think this is a generic PHP question as opposed to having anything to do with CI because it related to working with arrays.

I'm wondering how I might go about searching the array below for the key problem_id and a value equal to a variable which I would provide. Then, when it finds an array with a the matching key and variable, it outputs the other values in that part of the array too.

For example, using the sample data below. How would you recommend that I search the array for all the arrays that have the key problem_id and the value 3 and then have it output the value of the key problem_update_date  and the value of the key problem_update_text. Then keep searching to find the next occurrence?

Thanks in advance, as above, I've been searching really hard for the answer and believe i'm over my head!

Output of print_r($updates);

CI_DB_mysql_result Object
(
    [conn_id] => Resource id #30
    [result_id] => Resource id #35
    [result_array] => Array
        (
        )

    [result_object] => Array
        (
        )

    [current_row] => 0
    [num_rows] => 5
    [row_data] => 
)


Output of print_r($updates->result_array());

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [problem_update_id] => 1
            [problem_id] => 3
            [problem_update_date] => 2010-10-01
            [problem_update_text] => Some details about a paricular issue
            [problem_update_active] => 1
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [problem_update_id] => 4
            [problem_id] => 3
            [problem_update_date] => 2010-10-01
            [problem_update_text] => Another update about the problem with an ID of 3
            [problem_update_active] => 1
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [problem_update_id] => 5
            [problem_id] => 4
            [problem_update_date] => 2010-10-12
            [problem_update_text] => An update about the problem with an ID of four
            [problem_update_active] => 1
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [problem_update_id] => 6
            [problem_id] => 4
            [problem_update_date] => 2010-10-12
            [problem_update_text] => An update about the problem with an ID of 6
            [problem_update_active] => 1
        )

    [4] => Array
        (
            [problem_update_id] => 7
            [problem_id] => 3
            [problem_update_date] => 2010-10-12
            [problem_update_text] => Some new update about the problem with the ID of 3
            [problem_update_active] => 1
        )

)

Hi, I'm trying to explode an array into a multidimensional array using <br /> tags as splitters but just can't get the syntax right! I can do lines of the array one by one, but not the whole lot at once. I'd really appreciate a quick example of an explode inside an array.

$myarray looks something like this with print_r:
(
    [0] => 
    [1] => some_html<br />some_html<br />some_html<br />
    [2] => some_html<br />some_html<br />some_html<br />
    [3] => some_html<br />some_html<br />some_html<br />
)

and I want to turn it into this:
(
    [0] => 
    [1] =>
     [0]some_html
     [1]some_html
     [2]some_html
    [2] => 
     [0]some_html
     [1]some_html
     [2]some_html
    [3] =>
     [0]some_html
     [1]some_html
     [2]some_html
)

I've tried this
$myarray = explode ("<br />", $myarray);
but it doesn't work …

It doesn't matter too much if there's are a few empty lines in the array from the final <br /> tags.

Many thanks, as ever, for any help.

I have the following  array structu
Code: [Select]

[0] => Array
        (
            [id] => Array
                (
                    [$t] => http://www.google.com/mate/
                )

            [updated] => Array
                (
                    [$t] => 2011-08-31T11:43:05.942Z
                )

            [category] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [scheme] => http://schemas.google.com/g/
                            [term] => http://schemas.google.com/contact/
                        )

                )

            [title] => Array
                (
                    [type] => text
                    [$t] => Name
                )

            [link] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [rel] => http://schemas.google.com/contacts/2008/rel#edit-photo
                            [type] => image/*
                            [href] => https://www.google.com/mate/feeds/photos/media/
                        )

                    [1] => Array
                        (
                            [rel] => self
                            [type] => application/atom+xml
                            [href] => https://www.google.com/mate/feeds/contacts
                        )

                    [2] => Array
                        (
                            [rel] => edit
                            [type] => application/atom+xml
                            [href] => https://www.google.com/mate/feeds/
                        )

                )

            [gd$email] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [rel] => http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#other
                            [address] => email_address@gmail.com
                            [primary] => true
                        )

                )

        )



I am tried to display name and email address.
I am using following method, can anyone tell me is there any better way? Thank u 4u help.
NAME
$name=( $emp_det[0]['title'][t]);
EMAIL
$email =( $emp_det[0]['gdemail'][0][address]);

I am looking at the code below:

Code: [Select]
$array = array(
                array(
                1, 2
          ),
          'a' => array(
                'b' => 1,
                'c'
        )
);       
Is this an example of a multidimensional array? If so how would I access the value of 1 from key b?

Also would the next line ('c') be automatically assigned to the asociative key of c?

I've been working on some code to:
1. Search a db for rows that have a particular "position" value
2. Search the same db for rows that have a particular "langs" value
3. Compare the two arrays resulting for 1 and 2
4. Create a multidimensional array $langsarray[langs][question id] if 3 is true.
5. For each langs array in $langsarray pick a random, non-duplicate value and add it to $qarray for a maximum of 12 elements (3 for each langs).

What I have works about 95%.

The problem is, in the first langs array, one of the 3 randomly picked values is almost always empty, and its not always the same element. Sometimes its the first, sometimes its the third, sometimes its the second...

I think I've narrowed down the issue to line 44 ($qtemp = ...). If I change the min/max values for the mt_rand function, it behaves slightly differently. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Code:
//Include MYSQL class and authentication information
require_once('./include/mysql.php');
require_once('./include/global.php');

//Grab apptype from URL querystring
$apptype = $_GET['apptype'];

//Declare arrays
$qarray = array();
$posarray = array();
$langs = array();
$langsarray = array();

//Get id's of all questions pertaining to position type
$sql = 'SELECT * FROM qa WHERE position = "' . $apptype . '"';
$result = $db->query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
while ($row = $result->fetch()) {
$posarray[] = $row['id'];
}

//Determine what types of questions should be pulled
if ($apptype == 'fed'){
$langs = array('html','css','javascript','jquery');
}
else if($apptype == 'bed'){
$langs = array('php','asp','javascript','jquery');
}

//Get each question of each language that matches the position type and store it in the multidimensional array $langsarray[language][question id]
$z = 0;
while ($z < count($langs)){
$sql = 'SELECT * FROM qa WHERE langs = "' . $langs[$z] . '"';
$result = $db->query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
while ($row = $result->fetch()) {
if (in_array($row['id'],$posarray)){
$langsarray[$langs[$z]][] = $row['id'];
}
}

//Takes a random question id from the current language ($z) and adds it to the final question array.
$y = 0;
while ($y < 3) {
//$qtemp = $langsarray[$langs[$z]][mt_rand(0,count($langsarray[$langs[$z]]))];
$qtemp = $langsarray[$langs[$z]][mt_rand(0,count($posarray))];

if (!in_array($qtemp,$qarray)){ 
$qarray[] = $qtemp;
echo $qtemp . ', ';
$y++;
}
}
echo $langs[$z];
print_r( $langsarray[$langs[$z]]); echo '<br />';
$z++;
}
        echo '<br />';
print_r($qarray);


Output:

5, , 2, htmlArray ( => 1 [1] => 2 [2] => 3 [3] => 4 [4] => 5 )      <--Problem
7, 6, 9, cssArray ( => 6 [1] => 7 [2] => 8 [3] => 9 [4] => 10 )
14, 15, 13, javascriptArray ( => 11 [1] => 12 [2] => 13 [3] => 14 [4] => 15 )
21, 17, 20, jqueryArray ( => 16 [1] => 17 [2] => 18 [3] => 19 [4] => 20 [5] => 21 )

Array ( => 5 [1] => [2] => 2 [3] => 7 [4] => 6 [5] => 9 [6] => 14 [7] => 15 [8] => 13 [9] => 21 [10] => 17 [11] => 20 )   <-- Final $qarray