Display the count of a particular character in an array

[grumpy]

Hello-
I'm trying to display the count of how many of a particular character appear in an array. I have an array named 'most' (which comes from a form), which contains a string of 20 characters, some of which are repeated. I'm trying to find and display how many "B"s are in the array, how many "T"s, etc. But I can't get it to work. Here is my code. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

<?
include ('connect.php');
$most = urlencode($most);
echo $most; // just to test

$most = explode(" ", $most);

$B = 0;
$T = 0;
$S = 0;
$N = 0;
$Z = 0;

foreach($most as $value)
{
switch($value)
{
case 'B':
$B++;
break;
case 'T':
$T++;
break;
case 'S':
$S++;
break;
case 'N':
$N++;
break;
case 'Z':
$Z++;
break;
}
}

?>

[bpat1434]

How about using PHP's functions:
[man]count_chars/man
[man]substr_count/man

You could use either:

EDIT:
See the code below

-- Brett

Obviously, just using the count_chars() function would work just as well....

[grumpy]

I tried your code, but it doesn't work. I substitued my array name, $most, for $array. Is that right? Nothing is returned, just a blank page.

[bpat1434]

Hmm.... try having more strict error_reporing like:
E_ALL & E_STRICT

[bpat1434]

WORKING CODE

<?php
function countThoseChars($array, $char, $substr=TRUE)
{
  $count=0;
  if($substr)
  {
    // We'll use substr_count() method!!
    foreach($array as $key=>$val)
    {
      $num = substr_count($val, $char);
      $count = $count+$num;
    }
  }
  else
  {
    // We'll use count_chars() method!!
    foreach($array as $key=>$val)
    {
       foreach(count_chars($val, 1) as $i=>$num)
      {
        if(chr($i)==strtolower($char) || chr($i)==strtoupper($char))
        {
          $count = $count+$num;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  return $count;
}

$string = array('This is a test of a string', 'And yet another test of another string with some more t\'s in it!');
$T = countThoseChars($string, 't', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($string, 'i', 1);

echo $T.' T\'s and '.$I.' I\'s in the string!'; 
?>

See this code in action!

[grumpy]

What is e_stric, etc? Also I had typo and I'm getting a count, but it's wrong. Here's your code I modifed. Did I mess it up? My test array is two B's, one S.

<?
function countThoseChars($most, $substr=TRUE, $char='A')
{
$count=0;
if($substr)
{
// We'll use substr_count() method!!
foreach($most as $key=>$val)
{
$num = substr_count($val, $char);
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
else
{
// We'll use count_chars() method!!
foreach($most as $key=>$val)
{
foreach(count_chars($val, 1) as $i=>$num)
{
if(chr($i)==$char)
{
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
}
}
return $count;
}

$string = array('This is a test of a string');
$T = countThoseChars($string, 0);
$I = countThoseChars($string, 1, 'i');

echo $T.' B\'s and '.$I.' S\'s in the string!';
?>

[bpat1434]

And I fixed that count....

So when you call this function, you have to call it like so:

int countThoseChars( array Array, string String [, bool Bool )

Array: The array of strings
String: The character you're looking for
Bool: Whether or not to use substr_count() method [TRUE] or count_chars() method() [FALSE] (optional)

The array and string (character) are required. Depending upon what method you want to use, the Boolean value is optional.

If $substr is TRUE then the substr_count() method will be used to count the characters, otherwise, the count_chars() method will be utilized. I don't see a performance difference, but both options are there should you need it!!

[grumpy]

Thanks for your patience. I tried to modify your code again. But now my count is 0 for everything.

<?
function countThoseChars($most, $char, $substr=TRUE)
{
$count=0;
if($substr)
{
// We'll use substr_count() method!!
foreach($most as $key=>$val)
{
$num = substr_count($val, $char);
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
else
{
// We'll use count_chars() method!!
foreach($most as $key=>$val)
{
foreach(count_chars($val, 1) as $i=>$num)
{
if(chr($i)==strtolower($char) || chr($i)==strtoupper($char))
{
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
}
}
return $count;
}

$string = array($most); // IS THIS RIGHT?
$T = countThoseChars($string, 't', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($string, 'i', 1);

echo $T.' B\'s and '.$I.' S\'s in the string!';
?>

[bpat1434]

Get rid of that code.... copy and paste my exact code from a few posts above (the one I said was working)...

IF $most is an array:
Then, in the function calls ($T=countThoseChars(...)....) change $string to $most so you'd have:

$T = countThoseChars($most, 't', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($most, 'i', 1);

IF $most isn't an array:
You need to replace the $string var in my function calls ($T=countThoseChars(...)....) to be the array var you're using

$T = countThoseChars(/* YOUR ARRAY VARIABLE HERE */, 'the character', 0); // For count_chars method
$I = countThoseChars(/* YOUR ARRAY VARIABLE HERE */, 'the character/letter', 1); // For substr_count method
// Equivalency to:
// $I = countThoseChars(/* YOUR ARRAY VARIABLE HERE*/, 'the character/letter');

[grumpy]

I'm still getting 0's for results. Here is my full page of code.
<?
include ('connect.php');
$most = urlencode($most);

echo $most;// for testing

$most = explode(" ", $most);

function countThoseChars($array, $char, $substr=TRUE)
{
$count=0;
if($substr)
{
// We'll use substr_count() method!!
foreach($array as $key=>$val)
{
$num = substr_count($val, $char);
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
else
{
// We'll use count_chars() method!!
foreach($array as $key=>$val)
{
foreach(count_chars($val, 1) as $i=>$num)
{
if(chr($i)==strtolower($char) || chr($i)==strtoupper($char))
{
$count = $count+$num;
}
}
}
}
return $count;
}

$string = array('This is a test of a string', 'And yet another test of another string with some more t\'s in it!');
$T = countThoseChars($most, 't', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($most, 'i', 1);

echo $T.' B\'s and '.$I.' S\'s in the string!';

?>

[bpat1434]

Okay, and what characters are you counting?

The way you're running your code, you're only countin T's and I's.... if you want B's and S's you need to modify the function calls to reflect that:

$T = countThoseChars($most, 'b', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($most, 's', 1);

[grumpy]

OOPS, I see my error. I corrected these lines:
$T = countThoseChars($most, 'B', 0);
$I = countThoseChars($most, 'S', 1);

It works now. Thank you so much. I'd been working on this problem all day!