(PHP) array_path

traq — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:30:04 GMT

a useful PHP snippet. enjoy :)

Given a list of index keys (a path) and a subject array, checks if the path exists in the array and returns the end value if so.

Limitation: cannot distinguish between a path that does not exist and a final value of null.
You could throw an error/exception if this might ever be necessary (but it probably won't).

View on Github (most recent version)

PHP Code:


/**
 * allows dynamic access to multi-dimensional arrays
 * (using a sequence of values as index keys).
 *
 * @author     Adrian Testa-Avila 
 * @copyright  2013 Adrian Testa-Avila
 * @license    creative commons attribution-sharealike
 *             http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
 *
 * @param array $path     list of index keys (index path to follow)
 * @param array $array    subject array
 * @return mixed          the value at $array[$path] if set; 
 *                        null otherwise
 */
 
function array_path( array $path,array $array ){
    foreach( $path as $index ){
        if( isset( $array[$index] ) ){
            $array = $array[$index];
        }
        else{
            return null;
        }
    }
    return $array;
}
 
##         EXAMPLE USAGE         ##
##       uncomment to test       ##
/*
 
$a = array(
  'one' => array(
    'two' => array(
      'three' => 'found me!'
    )
  )
);
 
print array_path( array('one','two','three'),$a );
// prints "found me!"
 
*/

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(PHP) array_path