get specific array in a multi-dimentional array on php

Question

I have the following structure of an array which is decoded from a JSON object. From this array result I need to fork widgets for processing. It is an unstable JSON array so the parent keys may differs in future but the widgets will not.

...

it is a big source So I cut shorted it. From the above result set I only need to fork the following widgets object.

[widgets] => Array
      (
           [0] => Array
           (                   
             [activity_mapping] => STRUC-be4c
             [check_box_val] => 0
             [checkbox_unique_id] => EXCAV-dceae
             [checkbox_widget_id] => 5
             [created_date] => 2021-02-08 21:43:12
             )

         )

    )

Thanks in advance.

given your array structure is not stable, suggest you use a recursive function to filter for the 'widgets' key and return its contents. What have you tried? — berend
– berend, Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 14:10
@berend can you give any example for that. Do you mean iterating through the array like for loop inside for loop.? — Praveen Ez
– Praveen Ez, Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 14:14
You loop through it as $key => $value and check if key is widget, if not send $value to same function — WKoppel
– WKoppel, Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 14:16
“Thanks in advance.” - please go read How to Ask. This site is not a code-writing service. — C3roe
– C3roe, Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 14:22

id'7238 · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-12 15:57:06Z

0

This recursive function searches for the first occurrence of a key in a multidimensional array and returns its value.

function array_find_key(array $array, $key) {
    if (array_key_exists($key, $array)) {
        return [$key => $array[$key]];
    } else {    
        foreach($array as $item) {
            if (is_array($item) && $result = array_find_key($item, $key)) {
                return $result;
            }
        }
    }
}

$result = array_find_key($array, 'widgets');

fiddle

answered Feb 12, 2021 at 15:57

id'7238

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Comments

mickmackusa · Accepted Answer · 2023-02-20 07:45:17Z

The answer from @id'7238 is designed to search for a qualifying value in the current level before attempting to traverse a deeper level. The nuance in my answer (which does not call array_key_exists()) is that it checks keys as it traverses a level and will go down a level as soon as a non-qualifying subarray is encountered.

While looping, if the key is found, the payload is returned (and potentially passed up the recursive stack). If a value is array type data, then the next level down is processed -- if that level contains a qualifying key, it is passed up the stack.

If there are no qualifying keys in the input array, then null will be returned.

Code: (Demo)

function searchByKey(array $array, $find) {
    foreach($array as $k => $v) {
        if ($k === $find) {
            return [$k => $v];
        }
        if (is_array($v)) {    
            $result = searchByKey($v, $find);
            if ($result) {
                return $result;
            }
        }
    }
}

var_export(searchByKey($a, 'foo'));

AbraCadaver · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-12 15:53:25Z

-1

For fun, if the nesting level will be the same just with the keys being different, this will give you the widgets array:

$result = current(current(current(current(current($array)))))['widgets'];

This will give you the array under the widgets array:

$result = current(current(current(current(current(current($array)))))['widgets']);

The first example will only work if the widgets array is 5 levels deep in the array and for the second if there is only 1 array under widgets (if there are more you will get the first).

edited Feb 12, 2021 at 15:53

answered Feb 12, 2021 at 15:15

AbraCadaver

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