Get value from array where another value is matched
An array:
$myarray = array ([0] => ([id] => 1 [name] => greg)
[1] => ([id] => 5 [name] => joe))What I want to do is get the id from the array where name = $var (obviously I'll set the var)
So
$var = "joe";
$id = where ($myarray[name] == $var)I'm possibly too tired to see the obvious, or maybe not.. as I also won't specifically have the array key for the array being searched in (eg [0] and [1] in above example).
Maybe I'd at least need to know the top level array key ([0] and [1]) to make this even possible?
I know a foreach is possible, looking like the only possibility atm, but I wanted to avoid a loop if possible as the multi-array in question is huge.
teammatt3 posted this at 17:51 — 22nd August 2009.
He has: 2,102 posts
Joined: Sep 2003
If the array is huge, and your array looks like that (it has fields), why aren't you letting a relation databases handle this for you?
Is your array in any particular order? If it is, you would still need a loop, but you could use a binary search to find a name. That would bring search time down a ton.
Another idea, which would use a lot of space, would be to create a parallel array which has the names as keys, and the index (of the other array) as values.
greg posted this at 19:54 — 22nd August 2009.
He has: 1,581 posts
Joined: Nov 2005
Hmm, I should probably have mentioned (sorry) it's a Wordpress site.
The array is built in the core (I could edit it but wont) and is for a navigation menu.
This is to show breadcrumbs for the current nav position.
The array is in the same order as long as the WP categories remain the same.
I can't really use a binary search as it's a value from a different key I want.
The array is multi dimensional. So I need to search each sub arrays to match a particular key's value but actually get another key's value if matched (same sub array though).
I already have a loop for the nav, and need to get the breadcrumbs prior to looping and showing the nav. I really don't want to loop the same array twice in succession.
Looks a parallel array as you suggested will be the best option here.
Loop to do the breadcrumbs and make a second array. I only use 3 of the values from the huge array anyway so making a second isn't too big of an issue.
I just thought there might be a way to search and match an array value and then get another key's value if matched.
Probably asking too much of the ol' PHP system.
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