Thread: Need help creating 3D array.

Here's the story. Right now, I have a page that pulls data into two 2D arrays from our database based on a date input.

Code:

$sql="SELECT * FROM database WHERE date='".mysql_real_escape_string($date)."' ORDER BY name;";
$result=mysql_query($sql,$link);
while($row=mysql_fetch_row($result)){
   $result_array[]=$row;
   if(!in_array($row[1],$index_array)){
      $index_array[]=$row[1];
   }
}

I then have two loops farther down that cycles through the ENTIRE $result_array comparing the current result entry against the index entry. This isn't that bad when there's only a few hundred entries, but when I try to run it for several thousand entries, things start to bog down. What I'd like to do is create a 3D array, using the index as the leading entry.
Like this:

$result_array[index][row][column]

But I don't want to duplicate the index entry. How could I check if the index entry is already in the array and, if so, it puts that $row into the corresponding spot. (I really wish I could word that better.)

Sort of a:
if $row[1] is in the $result_array[index], add $row to $result_array[that_index][] else create a new index entry and add $row to $result_array[new_index][].

Let me know if I could make my request any more confusing, I'll see what I can do.

I found a solution that doesn't use in_array() and, frankly, I feel dumb for not having tried it before.

Here's my revised code:

Code:

while($row=mysql_fetch_row($result)){
	$array[$row[1]][]=$row;
}

And this outputs:

Code:

Array
(
    [index1] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 1
                    [1] => index1
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 2
                    [1] => index1
                )
        )
    [index2] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 1
                    [1] => index2
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [0] => 2
                    [1] => index2
                )
        )
)

Now this kinda works the way I want it, but I'd prefer an integer for the index line, rather than the actual 'index1' etc.

I've read the manual page for arrays and I know that if you build an array without specifying an index, it'll use integers by default and I can fake it by using:

Code:

while($row=mysql_fetch_row($result)){
	if(!in_array($row[1],$index_array)){
		$index_array[]=$row[1];
	}
	$index=array_search($row[1],$index_array);
	$array[$index][]=$row;
}

But I'm sure there's a cleaner way to do it.