sort array of strings

[alanita]

Could you please let me know how I can solve the following problem with array sort.

After I sort and delete duplicates from array $keywords_main of strings I get following changes to array elements:

CASE 1:
Before sort => [3, 5, 7]
sort:
$keywords_main = array_flip($keywords_main);
array_multisort($keywords_main);
$keywords_main = array_flip($keywords_main);

After sort => [0, 1, 2]

CASE 2:
(notice: there is space between 5 and 5 in second array element)
Before sort => [33, 5 5, 7]
sort:
$keywords_main = array_flip($keywords_main);
array_multisort($keywords_main);
$keywords_main = array_flip($keywords_main);

After sort => [ 0, 5 5, 1]

I would like to have array not change the value of its elements to the position number as it happens in this case. If array elements are words, then there is no problem.

Thank you,

[devinemke]

why are you using array_flip? for that matter why are you using array_multisort? your first array is already sorted.

$array = array('3', '5', '7'); // no need to sort, it is already sorted

as far as the second array, how exactly do you want it to be sorted?

$array = array('33', '5 5', '7');
sort($array);
print_r($array); // outputs 33, 5 5, 7

$array = array('33', '5 5', '7');
natsort($array);
print_r($array); // outputs 5 5, 7, 33

[Weedpacket]

And as for eliminating duplicates, there is [man]array_unique[/man].