Question

I have an array of vendors called:

$listOfVendors 

I loop through this array with a foreach in my view.

<?php foreach($listOfVendors as $vendor):?>         

    <p class="vendor">
        <span class="vendor-title"><?php echo $vendor->name ?>(<?php echo $vendor->country ?>)</span>, 
        <?php echo $vendor->goods ?>, <a href="<?php echo $vendor->site_adres ?>" class="vendor-link"><?php echo $vendor->site_adres ?></a>
    </p>                                            

<?php endforeach ?> 

Each vendor object has the following properties:

vendors_Id, name, country, goods, site_address, activities_Id. The last one, activities_Id, is a FK to the table activities which has, for the time being, two types of activities: Dealers and Artists.

Now I want to add a header once for every type of vendor. So want to get something like:

Artist

Vendor1(DE), Eigen posters e.a. merchandise, http://www.linktosite.com

Dealer

Vendor2(BE), Toys, DVD’s, books, http://www.anotherlink.be

Vendor3(FR), Merchandise, http://www.anotherlink2link.be

How do I do this?
I just can’t seem to get my head around this seemingly simple thing.

Edit for Solution

Controller actvities -> function vendors

//Get the vendor information and add the needed headers
//Here I get all the vendors
if($listOfVendors = $this->atsusacon_model->get_records()) { 
    foreach($listOfVendors as $vendor) {
        $listOfVendorsByType[$vendor->activities_Id][] = $vendor;   
    }   
    $data['listOfVendorsByType'] = $listOfVendorsByType;    
    var_dump($listOfVendorsByType);
}   

View actvities/vendors

<section class="vendors-overview twelvecol clearBoth">

    <?php foreach($listOfVendorsByType as $activity):?> 

        <?php if ($activity[0]->activities_Id == 1) :?> 
            <h3>Artists</h3>
         <?php else :?>
            <h3>Dealers</h3>
        <?php endif ?>

        <?php foreach($activity as $vendor):?>      

            <p class="vendor">
                <span class="vendor-title"><?php echo $vendor->name ?>(<?php echo $vendor->country ?>)</span>, <?php echo $vendor->goods ?>, <a href="<?php echo $vendor->site_address ?>" class="vendor-link"><?php echo $vendor->site_address ?></a>
            </p>                                    

        <?php endforeach ?>         
    <?php endforeach ?> 

</section>

I could make it more dynamic but for now, this is exactly how it should be.

The var_dump of $listOfVendorsByType looks like this:

Answer 1

You have to create a nested array:

<?php 
 foreach($listOfVendors as $vendor) {
   $vendorsByType[$vendor['activities_id']][] = $vendor;
 }
?> 

Now you have just have to loop over this nested array using two foreach loops.