Multidimensional Array - Illegal String Offset

Question

I have an array that for some reason keeps kicking back an error "Illegal String Offset" I have tried several ways to loop through it but none seem to work.

$fields = Array (
[cookies] => Array (
    [timeout] => 0
    [votes_per_cookie] => 1
    [enabled] => on
    )
[ip] => Array (
    [timeout] => 0
    [filter] => 
    )
[direct] =>  Array ( )
[membership] => Array (
    [type] => Array ( )
    [once] =>  Array ( )
    )
[captcha] =>  Array ( )
[quota] => Array (
    [votes] => 1000
    )
[date] => Array (
    [start] => 1553846400
    [end] => 1554767940
    [enabled] => on
    )
[selection] => Array (
    [minimum] => 1
    [maximum] => 1
    )
[unique_id] => 1547834405
[results] => Array (
    [require_vote] => Array (
        [enabled] => on
        )
    )
);

I am trying to get the value of end in the date array. I have tried this:

foreach($fields as $field) {
  echo $field['end'];
}

this outputs the data but also the illegal offset error.

I have tried this:

foreach($fields as $key => $value) {
  echo $value['end'];
}

This also outputs the same reponse.

if I echo key using the above loop, it returns the appropriate keys (cookies, ip, direct, membership, etc)

I have also tried:

foreach($fields['date'] as $field) {
    $field['end'];
  }

This is just an error.

And finally

foreach($fields as $field) {
  $field['date']['end'];
}

just an error.

try to simple echo without foreach as echo $fields['date']['end']; — Balvinder Singh
– Balvinder Singh, Commented Jun 1, 2019 at 6:06

Death-is-the-real-truth · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-01 07:58:11Z

1

Reason: end is the key of child array of date index (which is an index of parent array), so you have to use date also to fetch child-key value

Solution:

echo $fields['date']['end'];

edited Jun 1, 2019 at 7:58

answered Jun 1, 2019 at 6:15

Death-is-the-real-truth

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Comments

Mureinik · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-01 06:08:34Z

1

You don't need to iterate, just access the fields directly:

echo $fields['date']['end'];

answered Jun 1, 2019 at 6:08

Mureinik

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Comments

FaAzI Ahamed · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-01 08:58:44Z

1

You don't need to loop the array since you wanna get specific key value:

First method :

echo $fields['date']['end'];

second method : this little bit ugly the method.

echo array_column($fields,'end'))[0];

answered Jun 1, 2019 at 8:58

FaAzI Ahamed

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Comments

Ekin Alcar · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-01 06:19:52Z

Your array should look like this in order to loop through. I've added quotation strings ("") to your indexes and to your on value. Else you would get a warning: like this 'Use of undefined constant on'.Hope this helps!.

     $fields = array (
      'cookies' => array ('timeout' => 0,'votes_per_cookie' => 1,'enabled' => 'on'),
      'ip'=> array ('timeout' => 0,'filter' => '',),
      'direct' =>  array (),
      'membership' => array ('type' => array (),'once' =>  array ()),
      'captcha' =>  array (),
      'quota' => array ('votes' => 1000,),
      'date' => array ('start' => 1553846400,'end' => 1554767940,'enabled' => 'on',),
      'selection' => array ('minimum' => 1,'maximum' => 1,),
      'unique_id' => 1547834405,
      'results' => array ('require_vote' => array ('enabled' => 'on'))
    );

Now you can loop through it properly with a foreach:

foreach($fields as $key => $value) {
  if($key == 'date'){
    print_r($value);
  }
}

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