array_merge_recursive claims array is not an array

Question

I have looked through the posts here on SO but cannot find anything that seems to address my problem. I am fairly new to PHP/MySQL, and I cannot seem to figure out why this array_merge_recursive function keeps telling me that my first array is not an array. I have tested it and everything tells me it is… until it hits this function. Here is my code. I am trying to process multiple optional variables from a search form (I have looked into Sphinx/Lucene but am unable to use them at this time). First, I am processing some variables that have been POSTed to the page.

if (isset($_POST['city'])) {
    $search = mysqli_real_escape_string($db, $_POST['city']);
    $sqlCity = "SELECT `user_id` FROM `clients` WHERE MATCH (`city`) AGAINST ('$search' IN NATURAL LANGUAGE MODE)";
    $dsCity = $db->query($sqlCity);
}

if (isset($_POST['state'])) {
    $search = mysqli_real_escape_string($db, $_POST['state']);
    $sqlState = "SELECT `user_id` FROM `clients` WHERE `state` = $search";
    $dsState = $db->query($sqlState);
}

if (isset($_POST['zip'])) {
    $search = mysqli_real_escape_string($db, $_POST['zip']);
    $sqlZip = "SELECT `user_id` FROM `clients` WHERE `zip` = $search";
    $dsZip = $db->query($sqlZip);
}

if (isset($_POST['business-name'])) {
    $search = mysqli_real_escape_string($db, $_POST['business-name']);
    $sqlBus = "SELECT `user_id` FROM `clients` WHERE `business_name` = '$search' ";
    $dsBus = $db->query($sqlBus);
}

Then, I want to merge the resulting arrays into one array that gets passed as a single variable to the rest of the PHP code.

// Create array from Detailed Search variables
if (isset($_POST['city']) || isset($_POST['state']) || isset($_POST['zip']) || isset($_POST['business-name']) ) {
    $searchResults = array_merge_recursive($dsCity, $dsState, $dsZip, $dsBus);
}

?>

[Breaks out into some HTML here… and then gets processed. The rest of the code works. I keep getting the error before it even gets this far.]

while ($row=$searchResults->fetch_object()) {
    $userID = $row->user_id;

The error message I keep getting says "array_merge_recursive(): Argument #1 is not an array". Any ideas?

Chip Dean · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-17 23:47:13Z

2

You need to fetch the result back from your query. mysqli::query returns a mysqli_result object, not an array.

$result = $db->query($sqlZip);
$dsZip = $result->fetch_array();

Do that for each of your queries. This is the type of object you are trying to use: http://php.net/manual/en/class.mysqli-result.php

I hope that helps!

answered Apr 17, 2015 at 23:47

Chip Dean

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3 Comments

Rod the Sun God Over a year ago

Took a little tweaking, but this worked for me, thank you. Apparently I also needed to put single quotes around the $variables in my SQL queries...? I haven't had that issue before, but I eradicated an error by making that change. Appreciate the help.

Rod the Sun God Over a year ago

Incidentally, how do I retrieve the contents of the new merged array I have created? When it gets to the final code I provided above: while ($row=$searchResults->fetch_object()) { $userID = $row->user_id; it gives me this error: Call to a member function fetch_object() on array.

Rod the Sun God Over a year ago

BTW, the page you shared says that mysqli_result can be an array. That was why I was using it. I am sure I am missing something. Can you expound?

apelsinka223 · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-17 23:40:55Z

-1

You should initializite all arrays that you use in array_merge_recursive, cause they can not exist in your code.

answered Apr 17, 2015 at 23:40

apelsinka223

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2 Comments

Rod the Sun God Over a year ago

You are correct, there is the possibility that some of these arrays will be empty. I tried initializing them as empty but that didn't seem to work. Instead, I took advice from another SO post and did this:

if (isset($_POST['city']) || isset($_POST['state']) || isset($_POST['zip']) || isset($_POST['business-name']) ) {     $searchResults = array_merge_recursive((array)$dsCity, (array)$dsState, (array)$dsZip, (array)$dsBus); }

Rod the Sun God Over a year ago

Apparently that forces them to be seen as arrays even when they are empty.

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