How to add element to php array without it showing as a new array

Question

The intention with the below code is to extract messages from a mysql table, and put each of them inside ONE array with {} around each output. Each output consists of various parameters as you can see, and is an array in itself. What the code does is that each time the loop is processed, in the JSON array that this later is converted into, it wraps the output in []´s, hence it´s now a new array which is created. What I get is:

[{"sender":"ll","message":"blah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:04","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"},{"sender":"kk","message":"blahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:23","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"},{"sender":"ll","message":"blahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:47","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"}],[{"sender":"ll","message":"blahblahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:04","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"92337321312222016034304"},{"sender":"kk","message":"blahblahblahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:44:05","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"92337321312222016034304"}]]

And what I want is:

[{"sender":"ll","message":"blah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:04","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"},{"sender":"kk","message":"blahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:23","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"},{"sender":"ll","message":"blahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:47","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"32629016712222016034323"}],{"sender":"ll","message":"blahblahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:43:04","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"92337321312222016034304"},{"sender":"kk","message":"blahblahblahblahblah","timestamp":"2016-12-21 14:44:05","username":"","msgtype":"","threadid":"92337321312222016034304"}]

How do I proceed to get the right result here?

$data = array ();
foreach($threads as $threadid){
$sql = ("SELECT sender,message,timestamp,username,msgtype,threadid FROM    Messages WHERE  threadid = '$threadid' AND subject = '' AND timestamp >    '$newtimestamp' ORDER BY timestamp");
$arrayOfObjects = $conn->query($sql)->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_OBJ);
$data[] = $$arrayOfObjects;
}

And FYI, $threadid is another array containing... threadids, and the loop correctly fetches these one by one, that´s not where the problem is.

Thanks in advance!!

... and put each of them inside ONE array with {} around each output., are you trying to get json string? — Rajdeep Paul
– Rajdeep Paul, Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 20:21
can you specify what you mean with "inside ONE array with {} around each output"? Where/How do you want to see those brackets? As Json maybe? As {} indicates an object, not an array, it's a bit confusing what you want. — Jeff
– Jeff, Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 20:21
your need to define empty array var outside from foreach, and push array content inside of foreach. — Eugen
– Eugen, Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 20:22

akuhn · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-25 21:41:01Z

1

You are doing O(N) database queries, consider doing just O(1) using an IN expression in your where clause. No need for a foreach loop and you'll get all your data in one array.

SELECT ... FROM Messages WHERE threadid IN (1, 2, 3, ...) AND ...

You might have to use a prepared statement for that.

answered Dec 25, 2016 at 21:41

akuhn

27.9k2 gold badges79 silver badges93 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

6 Comments

Corey Hart Over a year ago

So "WHERE threadid IN ('$threadid')"? Then I just get [] as output.

akuhn Over a year ago

IN expects a comma separated list of ALL ids.

Corey Hart Over a year ago

So then this method won´t work since the threadids need to be extracted from the mysql database. Or is there a way to generate such a comma separated list inside php instead of an array, and use it the way I´m doing it?

akuhn Over a year ago

In your example the ids seem to be in $threads. Best use a prepared statement, read the documentation on who to do that.

Corey Hart Over a year ago

Well, I decided to give your suggestion one more try, and managed to do it in a none prepared way. I´m aware that this is supposed to be risky, but so far this project just needs to work, then have the php codes updated to safer versions, and then go live:

|

Jeff · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-25 20:43:51Z

0

I think you are searching for PDO::FETCH_OBJ. You had FETCH_ASSOC, which will return an array of associative arrays.
FETCH_OBJwill return an array ob stdObjects.

Also you reassigned $array to itself when doing $array[] = $array;..

$data = array();
foreach($threads as $threadid){
    $sql = ("SELECT sender,message,timestamp,username,msgtype,threadid FROM    Messages WHERE  threadid = '$threadid' AND subject = '' AND timestamp >    '$newtimestamp' ORDER BY timestamp");
    //                                             here it is:
    $arrayOfObjects = $conn->query($sql)->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_OBJ);
    $data[] = $arrayOfObjects;
}

// now you can encode that as json and show it:
echo json_encode($data);

edited Dec 25, 2016 at 20:43

answered Dec 25, 2016 at 20:29

Jeff

6,9611 gold badge19 silver badges34 bronze badges

5 Comments

Corey Hart Over a year ago

It´s indeed a JSON string I´m aiming for here, sorry to not be more clear about that.

Corey Hart Over a year ago

I tried all the amendments but I get the same result. I´ve also updated the initial question so you can see what it is that I´m talking about.

Jeff Over a year ago

the difference between what you get and what you want is that you still reassign $array to itself

Corey Hart Over a year ago

You mean: $array[] = $array;? Well, I´ve changed the code in the script to exactly what you said but the output look the same.

Corey Hart Over a year ago

Ok, I´ve updated the main message to reflect the changes made based upon your advise.

Corey Hart · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-26 00:27:56Z

0

@akuhn

Well, I decided to give your suggestion one more try, and managed to do it in a none prepared way. I´m aware that this is supposed to be risky, but so far this project just needs to work, then have the php codes updated to safer versions, and then go live. It works, so thanks a bunch!

$sql = ("SELECT sender,message,timestamp,username,msgtype,threadid FROM Messages WHERE threadid IN ('" . implode("','",$threadid) . "') AND subject = '' AND timestamp > '$newtimestamp' ORDER BY timestamp");
$data = $conn->query($sql)->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_OBJ);

answered Dec 26, 2016 at 0:27

Corey Hart

1931 gold badge2 silver badges16 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to add element to php array without it showing as a new array

3 Answers 3

6 Comments

5 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

6 Comments

5 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related