Modifying PHP arrays without [ ] syntax

[SamG]

I'm wondering about the wisdom of doing something like the following:

Code: Select all

  foreach ( $foo as $bar ) {
    $my_array = preg_replace("/($bar)/i", "<span class=\"underline\">\$1</span>", $my_array);
  }

where $my_array is an array. This works in that all instances of $bar are wrapped with <span> in all relevant elements of $my_array, but is this good coding?

[A_Jelly_Doughnut]

I would personally get $foo and $my_array to have the same keys, then use $key of $foo like so:

Code: Select all

foreach ($foo as $key => $bar)
{
      $my_array = str_replace($bar, '<span class="testclass">' . $bar . '</span>', $my_array[$key]);
}

However, both preg_replace and str_replace are array friendly. It certinally isn't wrong to do it the way you propoes.

[SamG]

Two things:

First, it has to be a case-preserved replace, so that's why there's a back reference.

Second, my real question is whether or not it's right to modify the contents of an array as shown in the example.

As an alternative, one could for loop through the array and address each element individually - $my_array[$i] - to do this in a way that might be more correct and readable. But if in PHP it's considered normal to examine and modify arrays in their entirety without the [ ] syntax, then there's no point in looping through all the elements of the array.

[naderman]

Depends on the function you use. In this case it is correct because preg_replace returns an array when $subject is an array.

mixed preg_replace ( mixed pattern, mixed replacement, mixed subject [, int limit [, int &count]] )

naderman

[Uchiha Nick]

so like.. can anyone give me a explanation of how a Array works? i have read tons of tutorials but all of them where vaque oO

[ILoserMan]

an array holds many a groups of information in one easy to remeber variable.

Code: Select all

$my_array = array();

$my_array['first'] = "Cat";
$my_array['second'] = "foo";
$my_array['3'] = "bar";
$my_array['five'] = "none";

Where you name the array, than the name of the index, or the name of the storeage place. Like a name tag, or a place holder, than assign a value to it.

Code: Select all

echo $my_array['first'];

You get:

Cat

function.array


ILM

[Uchiha Nick]

thanks.. thats a lot more clearer

[Yoda_IRC]

This was the way it was always described to me:

You should know an ordinary variable is a place to store data. Image it is a box in the computers memory.

An array is just a group of boxes that can be accessed by the same name, however you use a key to say which box to look in. PHP allows string keys, but some languages have much tighter restrictions (i.e. Java permits only numeric keys starting from 0 and size is fixed before starting to fill array) However as PHP is loose typed it doesn't really bother with this

An ordinary variable:
myVar

Code: Select all

_______
| Bob |
|_____|

now an array

myArray

Code: Select all

  1         2         3       
_______   _______   _______   
| bob |   | sam |   | jan |   
|_____|   |_____|   |_____|   

You can refer to your set of boxes as a whole using "myArray" and to a specific part of it with "myArray[2]" for example. Arrays can ofcourse contian other arrays or objects. You can also have multi-dimensionall arrays.