Bidimensional array generated dynamically

Question

I'm working with dynamic data, so I'm trying to put that data into a bidimensional array.

I need a structure like this:

$array['something1'] = array ( 'hi1' => 'there1' , 'hi2' => 'there2' );

All this data is dynamically generated by a foreach, ex.:

$list = array ( 0 => 'something;hi1;there1' , 1 => 'something;hi2;there2' );


foreach ( $list as $key => $data )
{
    // extract data
    $columns    = explode ( ';' , $data );

    // set data
    $items[$columns[0]] = array ( $columns[1] => $columns[2] );
}

How Can I do the previously described?

Right now the script is stepping over the previous key getting something like this:

$array['something1'] = array ( 'hi2' => 'there2' );

I hope you can help me.

Thanks.

Answer 1

The problem is that you are overwriting the value for the key when it already exists. You should modify to something like:

foreach ( $list as $key => $data )
{
    // extract data
    $columns    = explode ( ';' , $data );
    $outer_array_key = $columns[0];
    $key = $columns[1];
    $value = $columns[2];

    // set data
    $items[$outer_array_key][$key] = $value;
}

Answer 2

Here is how it can be done:


$list = array ( 0 => 'something;hi1;there1' , 1 => 'something;hi2;there2' );

$newlist =array();
foreach($list as $k=>$v){

    $items = explode(';',$v);
    $newlist[$items[0]][$items[1]]=$items[2];
}


echo "<pre>";
print_r($newlist);
echo "</pre>";


//output
/*
Array
(
    [something] => Array
        (
            [hi1] => there1
            [hi2] => there2
        )

)*/

?>

Answer 3

Change your set data with something like this :

if(!array_key_exists($columns[0], $items))
    $items[$columns[0]] = array();
$items[$columns[0]][$columns[1]] = $columns[2];