'Group data in a multidimensional array based on two columns

I have an indexed array of associative arrays like this:

[
    ['brand' => 'ABC', 'model' => 'xyz', 'size' => 13],
    ['brand' => 'QWE', 'model' => 'poi', 'size' => 23],
    ['brand' => 'ABC', 'model' => 'xyz', 'size' => 18]
];

I need to reduce/merge/restructure the data to group based on brand and model. If while grouping on these two columns, a brand & model combination occurs more than once, the size values should be formed into an indexed subarray. Otherwise, the size value can remain as a single string value.

My desired result:

[
    ['brand' => 'ABC', 'model' => 'xyz', 'size' => [13, 18]],
    ['brand' => 'QWE', 'model' => 'poi', 'size' => 23],
];
phparraysmultidimensional-arraygroupingarray-merge


Solution 1:[1]

In terms of the algorithm, you simply need to:

  1. Create an empty array.

  2. Scan each array element in the source array creating a new element (in the empty array) for each new brand/model encountered and adding the size sub-array.

  3. If there's already a brand/model entry, simply add the size to the sub-array if it's not already present.

You could implement this as follows (crude, but it works):

<?php
    // Test data.
    $sourceArray = array(array('brand'=>'ABC', 'model'=>'xyz', 'size'=>13),
                         array('brand'=>'QWE', 'model'=>'poi', 'size'=>23),
                         array('brand'=>'ABC', 'model'=>'xyz', 'size'=>18),
                        );
    $newArray = array();

    // Create a new array from the source array. 
    // We'll use the brand/model as a lookup.
    foreach($sourceArray as $element) {

        $elementKey = $element['brand'] . '_' . $element['model'];

        // Does this brand/model combo already exist?
        if(!isset($newArray[$elementKey])) {
            // No - create the new element.
            $newArray[$elementKey] = array('brand'=>$element['brand'],
                                           'model'=>$element['model'], 
                                           'size'=>array($element['size']),
                                           );
        }
        else {
            // Yes - add the size (if it's not already present).
            if(!in_array($element['size'], $newArray[$elementKey]['size'])) {
                $newArray[$elementKey]['size'][] = $element['size'];
            }
        }
    }

    // *** DEBUG ***
    print_r($newArray);
?>

Incidentally, for ease of access I've made it so that the size sub-array is always an array. (i.e.: You don't have to allow for it to potentially only be an element.)

Solution 2:[2]

//$array is the array in your first example.

foreach($array as $item) {
  $itemname = $item["brand"] . "_" . $item["model"]

  $new_array[$itemname]["brand"]  = $item["brand"];
  $new_array[$itemname]["model"]  = $item["model"];
  $new_array[$itemname]["size"][] = $item["size"];
}

Solution 3:[3]

"Upgrade" to knarf's snippet....

foreach($array as $item) {
  $itemname = $item["brand"] . "_" . $item["model"]

  $new_array[$itemname]["brand"]  = $item["brand"];
  $new_array[$itemname]["model"]  = $item["model"];
  $new_array[$itemname]["size"][ $item["size"] ] = 1;
}

foreach($new_array as $itemname=>$data) {
  if(isset($data['size']) && is_array($data['size'])) {
    $new_array[$itemname]['size']=array_keys($new_array[$itemname]['size']);
  }
}

No duplicates anymore...

Solution 4:[4]

I am going to interpret this question very literally and provide the exact described output structure.

Temporary compound keys allow the very swift lookup of previously encountered brand - model pairs. It is important that a delimiting character (that is not used in either value) is used to separate each value in the compound string so that there are no accidental "data collisions".

If a given "brand-model" combination occurs only once, the original row structure is pushed into the result array. Otherwise, the "size" data is converted into an indexed array and subsequent unique size values are pushed into the subarray.

Classic foreach(): (Demo) (with array_unique to remove potential duplicate sizes)

$result = [];
foreach ($array as $row) {
    $compositeKey = $row['brand'] . '_' . $row['model'];
    if (!isset($result[$compositeKey])) {
        $result[$compositeKey] = $row;
    } else {
        $result[$compositeKey]['size'] = array_merge(
            (array)$result[$compositeKey]['size'],
            [$row['size']]
        );
    }
}
var_export($result);

Functional programming with array_reduce(): (Demo)

var_export(
    array_values(
        array_reduce(
            $array,
            function ($carry, $row) {
                $compositeKey = $row['brand'] . '_' . $row['model'];
                if (!isset($carry[$compositeKey])) {
                    $carry[$compositeKey] = $row;
                } else {
                    $carry[$compositeKey]['size'] = array_merge(
                        (array)$carry[$compositeKey]['size'],
                        [$row['size']]
                    );
                }
                return $carry;
            }
        )
    )
);

If I am being honest, I would create a consistent data structure for my output and size would ALWAYS be a subarray. Here's how to modify the above snippet to cast the size element as an array on the first encounter and push all subsequently encountered size values into that group's subarray: (Demo)

$result = [];
foreach ($array as $row) {
    $compositeKey = $row['brand'] . '_' . $row['model'];
    if (!isset($result[$compositeKey])) {
        $row['size'] = (array)$row['size'];
        $result[$compositeKey] = $row;
    } else {
        $result[$compositeKey]['size'][] = $row['size'];
    }
}
var_export(array_values($result));

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution Source
Solution 1
Solution 2 Knarf
Solution 3 vlad b.
Solution 4

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