PHP : Avoid duplicates in a foreach loop

Question

Hello I am looping an array like:

Array
(
[01/04/2013 - 14:54] => Array
        (
            [0] => 13528
            [1] => status
            [2] => Waiting
            [3] => 10000
            [4] => Message to user
            [5] => Message3 to my dear user
        )

[01/04/2013 - 14:14] => Array
        (
            [0] => 13523
            [1] => status
            [2] => Waiting
            [3] => 10000
            [4] => Message to user
            [5] => Message2 to my dear user
        )

[12/20/2012 - 09:13] => Array
        (
            [0] => 13476
            [1] => status
            [2] => Waiting
            [3] => 10000
            [4] => Message to user
            [5] => Message do my dear user
       )
);

What I need is to display it properly avoiding duplicates: Here is my code.

foreach ($histories_by_date as $date => $events) {
$output .= $date;
foreach ($events as $key => $event) {
    switch ($events[$key]) {
        case 'Message from user':
            $output .= $events[$key + 1];
            break;
        case 'Message to user':
            $output .= $events[$key + 1];
            break;
       }
    }//foreach2
    }//foreach1

What is annoying is I get duplicates like:

01/04/2013 - 14:54 (CET)
Message3 to my dear user

01/04/2013 - 14:14 (CET)
Message3 to my dear user
Message2 to my dear user

12/20/2012 - 09:13 (CET)
Message3 to my dear user
Message2 to my dear user
Message do my dear user

I only need to display as in original array.

for me the code works fine and it outputs the original array in the desired format. — Angel
– Angel, Commented Jan 7, 2013 at 10:33

axel.michel · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-07 11:23:09Z

2

Should work like this:

$tmp = '';
$output = '';
foreach ($histories_by_date as $date => $events) {
    $output .= $date;
    foreach ($events as $key => $event) {
      switch ($events[$key]) {
        case 'Message from user':
            $tmp  .= $events[$key + 1];
            break;
        case 'Message to user':
            $tmp .= $events[$key + 1];
            break;
       }
    }//foreach2
    $output.=$tmp;
    $tmp = '';
}//foreach1

Alternative solution would be to break the foreach loop to, not only the switch like this:

$output = "";
foreach ($histories_by_date as $date => $events) {
    $output .= $date;
    foreach ($events as $key => $event) {
        $tmp = '';
        switch ($events[$key]) {
            case 'Message from user':
                $tmp  .= $events[$key + 1];
                break 2;
            case 'Message to user':
                $tmp .= $events[$key + 1];
                break 2;
           }
    }//foreach2

    $output.=$tmp;
}//foreach1
echo $output;

edited Jan 7, 2013 at 11:23

answered Jan 7, 2013 at 10:24

axel.michel

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5 Comments

Kandinski Over a year ago

For some reason my $tmp is constantly erased before displayed.

Kandinski Over a year ago

It seems it only works when is placed before }//foreach2 otherwise the variable is not visible. Can you confirm that?

axel.michel Over a year ago

@Kandinski Yes, my fault, I've updated the code. The tmp was set to empty string for each single event, this was wrong, you have to reset it after the loop.

Kandinski Over a year ago

Thanks a lot, I am using the second version.

Kandinski Over a year ago

I guess the first version is working also by displaying $tmp outside both foreach.

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