How to fill a multidimensional array with values in php

Question

I am experimenting with datatables and php, and trying to get an example server side script working at https://www.datatables.net/examples/data_sources/server_side.html.

as part of this I need to create an array of arrays of the datatable columns that looks like:

$columns = array(
                  array( 'db' => 'first_name', 'dt' => 0 ),
                  array( 'db' => 'last_name',  'dt' => 1 ),
                  array( 'db' => 'position',   'dt' => 2 ),
                  array( 'db' => 'office',     'dt' => 3 ),

              );

I have an array:

$mytablescolumns = array('name1','name2', ... )

which I would like to iterate through producing a 2d array that looks like:

 $columns = array(
                  array( 'db' => 'name1', 'dt' => 0 ),
                  array( 'db' => 'name2',  'dt' => 1 ),

I've looked at http://php.net/manual/en/function.array-fill.php and http://php.net/manual/en/function.array-fill-keys.php , but I'm not sure if these will accomplish this since they appear to deal with 1D arrays. How can I accomplish this?

Have you tried writing a simple foreach() loop to do so?

kero
– kero

2014-07-18 16:14:11 +00:00
Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 16:14 — kero
– kero, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 16:14

AminFarajzadeh · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-10 17:44:54Z

8

This is what I recently did to quickly create a two dimensional array (10x10), initialized to 0:

<?php
  $a = array_fill(0, 10, array_fill(0, 10, 0));
?>

This should work for as many dimensions as you want, each time passing to array_fill() (as the 3rd argument) another array_fill() function.

answered Mar 10, 2019 at 17:44

AminFarajzadeh

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1 Comment

mickmackusa Apr 9 at 23:14

I don't see how this possibly resolves the asked question.

Gergo Erdosi · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-18 16:15:44Z

7

I think a simple foreach is the easiest:

$array = array();
foreach($mytablescolumns as $index => $column) {
  $array[] = array('db' => $column, 'dt' => $index);
}

print_r($array);

This will create a new array in the $array variable. If you want to modify the original array, you can use it this way:

foreach($mytablescolumns as $index => &$column) {
  $column = array('db' => $column, 'dt' => $index);
}

print_r($mytablescolumns);

answered Jul 18, 2014 at 16:15

Gergo Erdosi

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Comments

Daniel K. · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-18 16:15:17Z

3

How about that one?

for($i = 0; $i < count($mytablescolumns); $i++) {
   $columns[$i] = array('db'=>$mytablescolumns[$i],'dt'=>$i);
}

answered Jul 18, 2014 at 16:15

Daniel K.

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Comments

Ted · Accepted Answer · 2023-07-23 14:54:13Z

0

This's a mixing solution between "for/foreach" loop and "array_fill" that I like to do for a fixed value:

for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
    $array[] = array_fill(0, 10, -1);
}

The above code creates a two dimensional array 10x10 initialized to -1

answered Jul 23, 2023 at 14:54

Ted

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1 Comment

mickmackusa Apr 9 at 23:15

I don't see how this possibly resolves the asked question.

mickmackusa · Accepted Answer · 2025-04-09 23:18:31Z

0

For completeness, here are some other approaches to iterate the input array and output the desired 2d array.

Use compact() in each iteration for brevity. (Demo)

$result = [];
foreach ($mytablescolumns as $dt => $db) {
    $result[] = compact('db', 'dt');
}
var_export($result);

Use array_map() to iterate and get_defined_vars() for brevity. (Demo)

var_export(
    array_map(
        fn($db, $dt) => get_defined_vars(),
        $mytablescolumns,
        array_keys($mytablescolumns)
    )
);

answered Apr 9 at 23:18

mickmackusa♦

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