Specific complex array sorting

Question

Okay, a before;

Array (
    'home' => array('order' => 1),
    'about' => array(),
    'folio' => array('order' => 2),
    'folio/web' => array('order' => 2),
    'folio/print' => array('order' => 1)
    'contact' => array('order' => 2)
)

And a desired after;

Array (
    'home' => array('order' => 1),
    'contact' => array('order' => 2),
    'folio' => array('order' => 2),
    'folio/print' => array('order' => 1),
    'folio/web' => array('order' => 2),
    'about' => array()
)

I know, horrific (don't ask!)

See how the slash in the key indicates children, and how the order is nested accordingly? And items without orders are simply shifted to the bottom.

But also how multiple 'same level' items with the same order are merely sorted by key?

Answer 1

Have you taken a look at http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.asort.php and http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.sort.php

Also whilst looking at sort make sure you check out the flags.

That array may cause alot of issues and i would suggest you change it around to something like

'home' => array(
    'meta' => array('order' => 1)
 ),
'folio' => array(
    'meta' => array('order' => 2),
    'children' => array(
        'print' => array(
             'meta' => array('order' => 1)
              /*Other Children*/
         ),
        'web' => array(
              'meta' => array('order' => 2)
         )
     )
 ),

and try do something a little recursively.

function show_menu(&$return,$array)
{
    $return .= '<ul>';
    foreach($array as $name => $inner)
    {
       $return .= '<li>' . $name
       if(isset($inner['children']))
       {
           show_menu(&$return,$inner['children']);
       }
       $return .= '</li>';
    }
    $return .= '</ul>';
}

$menu = '';
show_menu(&$menu,$menu_array);

echo $menu;

Should create you a nice hierarchy menu, hope this helps.

Answer 2

Damn, almost worth to get a bubblesort algorithm and skip all sorting functions altogether. However: if you do one loop:

foreach($array as $idx => $ar){
    $array[$idx]['key'] = $idx;
}

... I see no reason that it couldn't be implemented with uasort(), albeit dirty work...

function somesorter($a,$b){
    //check 'keys' entry in $a & $b first for slash, act accordingly if clear
    //check absence or 'order' entry in one or both
    //compare order entry
}