Calculate # of Rowspans and Colspans based on keys in a Multi-Array

Question

Ok, I have these 2 types of layouts, basically, it can be any layout really. I have decided to use tables for this, since using div tags cause undesirable results in some possible layout types.

Here are 2 pics that describe the returned results of row and column:

This would return the $layout array like so:

$layout[0][0]
$layout[0][1]
$layout[1][1]

In this layout type: $layout[1][0] is NOT SET, or doesn't exist. Row 1, Column 0 doesn't exist in here. So how can we use this to help us determine the rowspans...?

Ok, this layout type would now return the following:

$layout[0][0]
$layout[0][1]
$layout[1][0]
$layout[2][0]
$layout[2][1]
$layout[3][1]

Again, there are some that are NOT SET in here:

$layout[1][1]
$layout[3][0]

Ok, I have an array called $layout that does a foreach on the row and column, but it doesn't grab the rows and columns that are NOT SET. So I created a for loop (with the correct counts of how many rows there are and how many columns there are). Here's what I got so far:

// $not_set = array();
for($x = 0; $x < $cols; $x++)
{
    $f = 0;
    for($p = 0; $p < $rows; $p++)
    {
        // $f = count($layout[$p]); 
        if(!isset($layout[$p][$x]))
        {
            $f++;
            // It could be a rowspan or a Colspan...
            // We need to figure out which 1 it is!

            /*
            $not_set[] = array(
                'row' => $p,
                'column' => $x,
            );
            */
        }

        // if ($rows - count($layout[$p]))

    }
}

Ok, the $layout array has 2 keys. The first 1 is [ row ] and the 2nd key is [ column ]. Now looping through them all and determining whether it's NOT SET, tells me that either a rowspan or a colspan needs to be put into something somewhere. I'm completely lost here.

Basically, I would like to have an array returned here, something like this:

$spans['row'][ row # ][ column # ] = Number of rowspans for that <td> element.
$spans['column'][ row # ][ column # ] = Number of colspans for that <td> element.

It's either going to need a colspan or a rowspan, it will definitely never need both for the same element. Also, the pics above show for only 2 columns, there can be more than 2 columns.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!! I've been driving myself crazy with this for days! Pllleaase...

Answer 1

Why not store the colspan & rowspan datum in the original array, rather than trying to derive them? Something like this:

$layout[0][0][1][1]
$layout[0][1][1][1]
$layout[1][0][2][1]
$layout[2][0][1][2]
$layout[2][1][1][1]
$layout[3][1][1][1]