PHP Associative Array use variable as a key

Question

I want to "map" values obtained from an excel file.

If $row['type'] contained 'TYPE ONE' I would expect to get 'value-one'. But instead, I get an error.

I don't know if that's just not how associative arrays work in PHP.

$arrType = [
  'TYPE ONE' => 'value-one',
  'TYPE TWO' => 'value-two',
];
$key = $row['type'];

echo $arrType[$key]; //Error Undefined index: TYPE ONE

If I manually assign the string value... it works...

$arrType = [
  'TYPE ONE' => 'value-one',
  'TYPE TWO' => 'value-two',
];
$key = 'TYPE ONE';

echo $arrType[$key]; //value-one

EDIT 27 Aug 2021 It works on production. For the time, we will leave it like that... We think the problem is excel encoding or something...

EDIT 14 Sep 2021 It was an issue with special characters. It worked on production but still, some regex was used to remove them.

$type = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z ]/', '', implode(str_split($arrType[$key])));

echo $arrType[$type]; //Expected value

This obviously means that value of $row['type'] is not what you expect. var_dump($row['type']) — u_mulder
– u_mulder, Commented Jul 24, 2021 at 23:13
Does your value contains quotes? Can you please try $key = trim($row['type'], '"');? — pcsutar
– pcsutar, Commented Jul 25, 2021 at 0:20

GUEST · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-25 00:17:42Z

1

Something to consider

    $row = [
    'TYPE'=>'TYPE TWO',
    'type'=>'TYPE ONE ' //possible spaces -- use trim()
    ];

    $arrType = [
        'TYPE ONE' => 'value-one',
        'TYPE TWO' => 'value-two',
    ];

    $key = $row['type'];
    echo $arrType[$key]; //Notice: Undefined index: TYPE ONE

    $key = trim($row['type']);
    echo $arrType[$key]; //value-one

answered Jul 25, 2021 at 0:17

GUEST

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1 Comment

Francisco José Oviedo Juárez Over a year ago

Thanks for the suggestion but already tried trimming and casting.

F. Müller · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-14 19:16:20Z

0

It was an issue with special characters. It worked on production but still, some regex was used to remove them.

$type = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z ]/', '', implode(str_split($arrType[$key])));

echo $arrType[$type]; //Expected value

edited Sep 14, 2021 at 19:16

F. Müller

4,0629 gold badges44 silver badges53 bronze badges

answered Sep 14, 2021 at 17:14

Francisco José Oviedo Juárez

521 silver badge8 bronze badges

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