PHP - efficient way of adding multidimensional array values to a specific key

Question

I have a multi-dimensional array which contains some ID's based on filters a user has chosen to "find" or "exclude" from a search. Each set of filters is grouped by a key (65 in the example below):

$cache_data = ['filters' => [
        65 => [
            'find' => [
                167
            ],
            'exclude' => [
                169,
                171
            ]
        ]
    ]
];

I want to add some more ID's to the find array whilst retaining any that are already there: 167 in this case. The values in the exclude array need to remain untouched. Assume I want to add the following 4 values to find:

$to_be_added = [241, 242, 285, 286];

I need to target the filters based on their group ID (65 in this case) and merge in my new values using array_merge():

$existing_filters = ($cache_data['filters'][65]);
$merged = array_merge($existing_filters['find'], $to_be_added);

I then rewrite $cache_data['filters'][65] by using $merged with the find key, and keep the values that were already there in exclude:

$cache_data['filters'][65] = [ 
        'find' => $merged,
        'exclude' => $existing_filters['exclude']
    ];

The output for this, print_r($cache_data['filters'][65]); is exactly as I want:

Array
(
    [find] => Array
        (
            [0] => 167
            [1] => 241
            [2] => 242
            [3] => 285
            [4] => 286
        )

    [exclude] => Array
        (
            [0] => 169
            [1] => 171
        )

)

However I'm wondering if there is an easier or more efficient way to achieve the same thing?

Using PHP 7.2.10

The + operator will override int keys - I guess OP will not love it... — dWinder
– dWinder, Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 11:26
@dWinder - it must keep the existing values that were in find (167) as well as add the new ones (241, 242, 285, 286). — Andy
– Andy, Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 11:27
u_mulders answer is pretty much what you had in the question, just as a one-liner. What is it you were hoping to get when asking if there is an easier or more efficient way to achieve the same thing? Were you hoping for different ways of writing to do the same? Or perhaps after more performant ways to do the same? — rkeet
– rkeet, Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 11:38

u_mulder · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-19 11:31:58Z

1

Oneliner:

$cache_data['filters'][65]['find'] = array_merge(
    $cache_data['filters'][65]['find'], 
    $to_be_added
);

Using

$cache_data['filters'][65]['find'] += $to_be_added;

is not safe because in this case key value 241 which is under key 0 will be ignored, as $cache_data['filters'][65]['find'] already has key 0 with value 167.

edited Mar 19, 2019 at 11:31

answered Mar 19, 2019 at 11:26

u_mulder

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1 Comment

Andy Over a year ago

The "oneliner" answer is correct because as specified it must keep the existing values of find (167) and add the new ones (241...286). I can confirm your oneliner solution works.

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