in_array fails but it's in the array!!!

[ppowell]

array_keys($boolword) = Array ( [0] => 'album' [1] => 'keywords' [2] => 'persons' [3] => 'events' [4] => 'image_alt' [5] => 'image_creation_start_date' [6] => 'image_creation_end_date' [7] => 'image_location_city' [8] => 'image_location_state' [9] => 'image_location_country' )

Here is my array. Plain and simple enumerative array with values being strings.

So why does this fail???

print_r(in_array('album', array_keys($boolword)));

This produces FALSE or NULL. But it's right there IN the array!! What on earth is going on? Is this a failure in the part of in_array() that I am unaware of?

This is a major showstopper in my search code PHP script I'm writing for my application, please help someone!

Thanx
Phil

[laserlight]

hmm.. could you give the smallest example of code that directly shows this problem?

[ppowell]

I'm sorry I am showing it to you now. I can't do anything smaller than that. That is the array and that is the example of the code, plain and simple.

Phil

[laserlight]

No, you arent showing me something that I can reproduce on my comp, without typing it out myself.

[ppowell]

I am completely not following you. It's like it's there. The array, the command, you cut and paste and that's it.

Phil

[sidney]

i think you mean like this

 $boolword = Array ( 0 => 'album', 1 => 'keywords', 2 => 'persons', 3 => 'events');
print_r(in_array('album', $boolword)); 

not having use array_keys much and not bothering to look at manual i think array_keys would produce an array of the keys in
your array

[laserlight]

Here's what I tried with:

<?php
$boolword = array(
	'album' => 10,
	'keywords' => 11,
	'persons' => 12,
	'events' => 13,
	'image_alt' => 14,
	'image_creation_start_date' => 15,
	'image_creation_end_date' => 16,
	'image_location_city' => 17,
	'image_location_state' => 18,
	'image_location_country' =>19
	);

print_r(in_array('album', array_keys($boolword)));
?>

The output was:
1

i.e. a true value.

As such, I simply cannot help you, since you refuse to give the actual source code.
Giving the output of
print_r(array_keys($boolword));
is not giving the code snippet required.

[sidney]

just reading manual array of_keys() will just produce an numeric array with the array keys

it might be better to use array flip

 $boolword = Array ( 0 => 'album', 1 => 'keywords', 2 => 'persons', 3 => 'events');

print_r(in_array('album', array_keys(array_flip($boolword)))); 

[ppowell]

Ok, you win, here it is, in graphic detail, THE ENTIRE CLASS SCRIPT.. you see, it happens, laserlight, EVERYWHERE:

/**
  * Accepter will handle server-side validation of all entered search criteria.  Since this class is uniquely generated as an aside from any
  * section-related class library, no other Accepter class will be generated, safeguarding the code structure.  The rules for validation will
  * be as follows:
  *
  * 1) At least one criteria must be selected/entered
  * 2) If you choose "boolword" (the boolean word dropdown) the key found within the array name structure of "boolword" must 
  *      correspond to an entered element
  *     (e.g. if you have "boolword['persons'] selected for any of the selections, you must have also entered a value for the 'persons' text field)
  * 3) If you choose "boolword" the element found to the left of "boolword" must also have a value
  *
  * @author Phil Powell
  * @version 1.0.0
  * @package IMAGE_CATALOG
  * @see SearchHandler
  */
class Accepter extends SearchHandler {

/**
  * boolean to determine validity of server-side content
  * 
  * @access public
  * @var boolean
  */
var $isValid = true;

/**
 * "static final" 2-dim array containing exemptions to null - corresponds to $section and form element - this is in case a null value
 *  is an acceptable value
 * 
 * @access private
 * @var array
 */
var $nullExemptionArray = array('image' => array('album' => '###', 'image_location_country' => 'us'));

/**
  * Constructor will perform validate() method only to ensure script structural simplicity
  *
  * @access public
  */
function Accepter() {							// CONSTRUCTOR
	$this->validate();
}
/**
  * Perform validation here
  *
  * @access public
  */
function validate() {							// VOID METHOD
	global $section, $_POST;
	foreach ($_POST as $key => $val) if (!isset(${$key})) ${$key} = $val;
	// THIS EXTENDS SearchHandler GET GROUPING OF FORM ELEMENTS IN $formFieldsArray
	$this->setFormFieldsArray();
	$this->isValid = false;	// PRESET $this->isValid TO FALSE
	$kounter = 0;
	$hasEnteredContent = false;	// BOOLEAN TO CHECK IF AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT HAS BEEN ENTERED BY USER
	foreach($this->formFieldsArray[$section] as $gluedFormContent) {
	 list($elementName, $elementDisplay, $elementType, $elementWidth, $isRequiredElement, $elementValueVarName, $isLastElement) = 
	  explode('|', $gluedFormContent);

	/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Rule #1: At least one element must have an entry for search to be valid.  Search to see if anything
		has a value.  If a value is found, reset $this->isValid back to true.  An element not having a value
		also includes a corresponding value found in $this->nullExemptionArray[$section][$elementName]
	------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
	 if (${$elementName} && ${$elementName} !== $this->nullExemptionArray[$section][$elementName]) {
	  $this->isValid = true;
	  $hasEnteredContent = true;
	 } 

	 /*--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Rule #2: If you choose "boolword" (the boolean word dropdown) the key found within the array name structure of "boolword" must 
			       correspond to an entered element
	 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
	 $nextElementName = $this->getNextElementName($section, $kounter);
	 if ($boolword[$nextElementName] && ${$nextElementName} && ${$nextElementName} !== $this->nullExemptionArray[$section][$nextElementName]) {
	  $this->isValid = true;
	 } elseif ($boolword[$nextElementName]) {
	  $this->setErrorArray(array($nextElementName => 'Please enter a value to correspond to your boolean word selection'));
	 }

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Rule #3: If you choose "boolword" the element found to the left of "boolword" must also have a value
	--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
	if ($boolword[$nextElementName] && ${$elementName} &&  ${$elementName} !== $this->nullExemptionArray[$section][$elementName]) {
	 $this->isValid = true;
	} elseif ($boolword[$nextElementName]) {
	 $this->setErrorArray(array($elementName => 'Please enter a value that will correspond to your boolean word selection before making boolean choice'));
	}

	 $kounter++;
	}

	if (!$hasEnteredContent) 
	 $this->setErrorArray(array($section => "You must enter at least one search criteria for detailed search for $section"));

	if (is_array($this->getErrorArray()) && @sizeof($this->getErrorArray()) > 0) 
	 $this->isValid = false; 	// RESET BACK TO FALSE IF EVEN ONE ERROR IS FOUND

}

}

Pay close attention to every instance of $boolword[$elementName] or $boolword[$nextElementName]

Phil

[laserlight]

It's good that you're providing more information.
This gives other people a clearer idea of what you are trying to do.
This way, they can spot potential problems with your code, as sometimes an extra set of eyes can do wonders.

On the other hand, providing too much code blurs the issue, both for others and for yourself.
It is often wise to take a step back from your main code, and work on the problematic code, separately.
Once you understand the problem, you can then apply the fix to your main code.

I did a quick search for "in_array" in the code you provided, but the search returned no results.
Yet it is precisely that point that you are trying to investigate.
As such, work only on that part, ignore the rest of your code for the time being.

If you need to, create a stripped down version of your class(es) for testing.
Then you can modify this class to become more like your actual class in some ways, and test.
From these tests you then try to get a better understanding of what actually is happening, not only what you think should happen.

Remember, your fellow programmers dont owe you help in this, after all, you arent paying us a cent.
But if you really need help, and you present your case well, then some of us would be interested in helping you.
It's not a matter of "you win", or "I win". I dont gain anything tangible from helping you.
What I do gain is in increasing my skills in PHP, and the satisfaction of helping someone in need.

[ppowell]

just reading manual array of_keys() will just produce an numeric array with the array keys

it might be better to use array flip

I'm sorry but I could not find any information on "of_keys()" in the PHP manual, going to http://us3.php.net/manual-lookup.php?pattern=of_keys

I found a rather dodgy workaround that works: instead of using $boolword[$elementName] I use this:

$boolword["'$elementName'"]

For some cracked reason it seems to think the array element key physically CONTAINS single quotes!

Phil

[sidney]

Originally posted by ppowell
I'm sorry but I could not find any information on "of_keys()" in the PHP manual, going to http://us3.php.net/manual-lookup.php?pattern=of_keys

im so sorry for my typo that should of read array_keys

which is what you where using

[ppowell]

I hope this most clearly illustrates my problem, I truly, truly can't explain it any better than this, I'm truly sorry...

All I want to do is this:

I have the following:

$html .= "<select name=\"boolword['$elementName']\">" .
              " <option value=\"AND\">AND</option>" .
              " <option avlue=\"OR\">OR</option>" .
              " <option value=\"AND NOT\">AND NOT</option>" .
              "</select>\n";

This is one of N amount of dropdowns that will be produced in HTML that will comprise a PHP array called $boolword. $boolword is an associative array whose keys should be 'album', 'location', 'name', 'address', 'whatever'. Here is the problem.

When you get $boolword from $_POST you get this type of array:

$boolword = Array ('album' => '', 'location' => 'AND', 'name' => 'OR', 'address' => '', 'whatever' => '')

Now I need to do some code logic to find $boolword[$elementName], hence I am doing in_array($elementName, $boolword[$elementName]), and it fails, though $elementName is clearly found in $boolword as you can see.

Phil