Question

This question is followed up question from ‘This question’. The codeigniter code returns the database recordset as following array.

Array
(
    [0] => stdClass Object
    (
        [user_id] => NLK32439
        [first_name] => sdn
        [last_name] => hf]zL
        [email_address] => [e-mail]
        [mobile_number] => 9841349349
        [description] => g]kfn
        [date_joined] => 09-AUG-12
        [status] => 1
        [username] => user1
        [userpassword] => 691f9298642af07c2d6ea8fef56074201e077b34
    )

    [1] => stdClass Object
    (
        [user_id] => NLK94358
        [first_name] => alag
        [last_name] => k|wfg
        [email_address] => [e-mail]
        [mobile_number] => 823472384723
        [description] => g]kfn
        [date_joined] => 09-AUG-12
        [status] => 1
        [username] => user2
        [userpassword] => 691f9298642af07c2d6ea8fef56074201e077b34
    )

    [2] => stdClass Object
    (
        [user_id] => NLK32437
        [first_name] => ;lag
        [last_name] => %]qL
        [email_address] => [e-mail]
        [mobile_number] => 9851112412
        [description] => g]kfn
        [date_joined] => 08-AUG-12
        [status] => 1
        [username] => user3
        [userpassword] => 691f9298642af07c2d6ea8fef56074201e077b34
    )

    [3] => stdClass Object
    (
        [user_id] => NLK32435
        [first_name] => clgn
        [last_name] => zdf{
        [email_address] => [e-mail]
        [mobile_number] => 984134354
        [description] => g]kfn
        [date_joined] => 08-AUG-12
        [status] => 1
        [username] => user4
        [userpassword] => 0e025eade868b4b481f41ff7449bc1967261e170
    )

)

All i want to do is sort array by “first_name” on the basis of certain condition. My php code so far is-

<?php
usort($array, function ($a, $b) {
    static $order = array('c', 's','a',';', 'L');
    return array_search($a->first_name, $order) - array_search($b->first_name, $order);
});
?>

My intention to do is sorting the array so that the first_name begining with ‘c’ comes first, with ‘s’ comes second, with ‘a’ comes third and with ‘;’ comes fourth.

But above code is not working as expected. It is returning the records in the sequence :

's','a',';','c'

it should return in the sequence

'c', 's','a',';'

I m using custom Devnagari font, so each albhabet in keyboard represent certain character in devnagari. So in devnagari, c comes first, s second and so on.

Any help will be highly appreciated. Thanks a ton in advance

Answer 1

This because using array_search will only return when the string is completely match some string in the array.

$array = array('a','b','c');
var_dump(array_search('blue',$array))
// This will output
bool(false)

So, if you want you can try this :

<?php
usort($array, function ($a, $b) {
static $order = array('c', 's','a',';', 'L');
return array_search(substr($a->first_name,0,1), $order) - array_search(substr($b->first_name,0,1), $order);
});
?>

Hope this helps.

UPDATE : for your question on your comment, I have an idea. Please take alook.

usort($array, function($a, $b) {
    //example for the orders
    static $orders = array (';l', 'c', 's', 'a', ';', 'L');

    //variables to count the point for $a and $b (it is equal at first)
    $pointA = 1;
    $pointB = 1;

    //also variables to mark if $a or $b are matched on one of the orders
    $isFoundA = false;
    $isFoundB = false;

    //iterate foreach orders
    $i = 0; //this is something to add to the point, the more earlier the first_name found in the order, the less point will be added
    foreach ($orders as $order) {
        //if $a->first_name is still not found in orders and it has been just founded 
        if (!$isFoundA && strpos($a->first_name,$order) === 0) {
            $pointA += $i;
            $isFoundA = true; //we don't need to check this again since we had found it
        }
        //if $b->first_name is still not found in orders and it has been just founded 
        if (!isFoundB && strpos($b->first_name,$order) === 0) {
            $pointB += $i;
            $isFoundB = true; //the same as above, we don't need to check it again
        }
        $i++;
    }
    //after iterate in orders, we check the points for $a and $b
    if ($pointA == $pointB) return 0;
    else return ($pointA < $pointB) ? -1 : 1;
});

Now the order has no limitation on characters. You can specify something like static $orders = array('abc','a',';'); or static $orders = array('abcdef', 'b', 'z', ';', 'c['); Please let me know if it works on you.