Question

I have a script that goes through a CSV file and puts each row as an array into another array (nested array?). Each row has 2-3 fields for the category of the item in that row. I’m trying to work through how to create a multidimensional array out of these categories. Here is the source I currently have:

$csv = new File_CSV_DataSource;
if ($csv->load($file)) {
    $items = $csv->getHeaders();
    $csv->getColumn($items[2]);
    if ($csv->isSymmetric()) {
        $items = $csv->connect();
    } else {
        $items = $csv->getAsymmetricRows();
    }
    $items = $csv->getrawArray();
}

$mainCats = array();
$subCats = array();
$subSubs = array();

foreach($items as $item){
    if(!in_array($item[10], $mainCats)){
        $mainCats[] = $item[10];
    }
}

foreach($items as $item){
    if(!array_key_exists($item[11], $subCats)){
        $parent = array_search($item[10], $mainCats);
        $subCats[$item[11]] = $parent;
    }
}

foreach($items as $item){
    if(!array_key_exists($item[12], $subSubs)){
        $parent = array_search($item[11], array_keys($subCats));
        $subSubs[$item[12]] = $parent;
    }
}

What this does so far is create 3 arrays with the format of:

$mainCats = Array(
    [0] => Main Cat 1,
    [1] => Main Cat 2,
    [2] => Main Cat 3
);

$subCats = Array(
    [Sub Cat 1] => 0,
    [Sub Cat 2] => 1,
    [Sub Cat 3] => 2
);

$subSubs = Array(
    [Sub Sub 1] => 0,
    [Sub Sub 2] => 1,
    [Sub Sub 3] => 2
);

The numeric values of each of the last 2 arrays are the index of their parent category in the previous array. What I would like to do is to merge them all into one large array in the format of:

$cats = Array(
    [0] => Array(
        'name' => Main Cat 1,
        'subs' => Array(
            [0] => Array(
                'name' => Sub Cat 1,
                'subs' => Array(
                    'name' => Sub Sub 1
                )
            )
        )
    ),
    [1] => Array(
        'name' => Main Cat 2,
        'subs' => Array(
            [0] => Array(
                'name' => Sub Cat 2,
                'subs' => Array(
                    'name' => Sub Sub 2
                )
            )
        )
    ),
    [2] => Array(
        'name' => Main Cat 3,
        'subs' => Array(
            [0] => Array(
                'name' => Sub Cat 3,
                'subs' => Array(
                    'name' => Sub Sub 3
                )
            )
        )
    ),
);

I know there has to be a far more efficient way of doing this, but I can’t figure it out.

EDIT – I should also mention that not all rows have a 3rd category field value.

Answer 1

I prefer to index them by name:

$cats=array();
//--------
foreach($items as $item){
        $main=$item[10];
        $subCat=$item[11];
        $subSub[$item[12]];
        $cats[$main]['subs'][$subCat]['subsubs'][$subSub]['name']=$subSub;
        $cats[$main]['subs'][$subCat]['name']=$subCat;
        $cats[$main]['name']=$main;



}