How to loop over associative array using foreach loop construct in following scenairo?

Question

I've an array titled $rebate_by_product:

Array
(
    [op] => preview
    [id] => 
    [form_submitted] => yes
    [company_id] => 46
    [1] => Array
        (
            [pack] => 10
            [quantity] => 20
            [volume] => 30
            [units] => 9
            [amount] => 40
            [rebate_start_date] => 2014-05-01
            [rebate_expiry_date] => 2014-05-05
            [applicable_states] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 1
                    [1] => 2
                    [2] => 3
                )

            [rebate_total_count] => 5000
            [products] => Array
                (
                    [1] => 9
                    [2] => 10
                )

        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [pack] => 50
            [quantity] => 60
            [volume] => 70
            [units] => 10
            [amount] => 80
            [rebate_start_date] => 2014-05-06
            [rebate_expiry_date] => 2014-05-10
            [applicable_states] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 14
                    [1] => 15
                    [2] => 16
                )

            [rebate_total_count] => 10000
            [products] => Array
                (
                    [1] => 11
                    [2] => 8
                )

        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [pack] => 100
            [quantity] => 200
            [volume] => 300
            [units] => 7
            [amount] => 400
            [rebate_start_date] => 2014-05-21
            [rebate_expiry_date] => 2014-05-30
            [applicable_states] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 26
                    [1] => 33
                    [2] => 42
                )

            [rebate_total_count] => 9999
            [products] => Array
                (
                    [1] => 9
                    [2] => 8
                )

        )

    [multiselect] => 42
)

You can observe from above array that it has few elements which are not array but it has three such elements which are themselves array and even few of its data elements are also arrays so how to loop over this kind of array using foreach loop?

Answer 1

If you just want to print each one the just use foreach loop. Consider this example:

$product_keys = array(); // edited
// loop them, if its an array, loop inside it again
foreach($rebate_by_product as $index => $element) {
    if(is_array($element)) {
        foreach($element as $key => $value) {
            if(is_array($value)) {

                // EDITED
                if($key == 'products') {
                    $product_keys = array_merge($product_keys, $value);
                }

                $value = implode(',', $value);
                echo "$key => $value <br/>";
            } else {
                echo "$key => $value <br/>";
            }
        }
    } else {
        echo "$index => $element <br/>";
    }
}

// if product items has duplicates check here (edited)
if(count($product_keys) != count(array_unique($product_keys))) {
    echo "<script>alert('This array has duplicate products');</script>";
} else {
    echo "<script>alert('Products are ok');</script>";
}

Or if you want, you cant just use iterators on this one:

$recursive = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(new RecursiveArrayIterator($rebate_by_product));
foreach($recursive as $key => $value) {
    echo "$key => $value <br/>";
}

Answer 2

I'd propose you're use a recursive approach to bring all the entries of the array on the same level and then print this array:

function loopArray($inputVal,$inputKey = "") {
    if(is_array($inputVal)) {
        $output = array();
        foreach($inputVal as $key => $value) {
            $output = array_merge($output,loopArray($value,$key));
        }
        return $output;
    } else {
        return array($inputKey => $inputVal);   
    }
}

// Just for presenting:
$yourArray = array(
    "1" => "1",
    array(
        "2.1" => "2.1",
        array(
            "2.2.1" => "2.2.1"
        )
    ),
    "3" => "3",
    array(
        "4.1" => "4.1"
    )
);

$newArray = loopArray($yourArray);
// > array("1" => 1,"2.1" => "2.1","2.2.1" => "2.2.1","3" => "3","4.1" => "4.1")

foreach($newArray as $key => $value) {
    echo $key." => ".$value."<br/>";   
}
// > 1 => 1
// > 2.1 => 2.1
// > 2.2.1 => 2.2.1
// > 3 => 3
// > 4.1 => 4.1