Check to see if a string in an associative array exists in a string

[curb]

How am I able to use an associative array key to search for a string and echo the value?

<?php
$haystack = "My name is Allen";

//works with this style array
$names = array("Mike", "Joe", "Bob", "allen");
echo arrayinstr($haystack, $names);//echo's allen

//How do I get associative style arrays to echo the sex (male) instead of "allen"? (male,female,alien)
$names["Bob"] = male;
$names["Sally"] = female;
$names["Charlie"] = male;
$names["Allen"] = male;
$names["Android"] = alien;
$names["ET"] = alien;
$nameS["Brad"] = male;


function arrayinstr($haystack, $needle) {
   foreach($needle as $value) {
   $haystack = strtolower($haystack);
      if (!strpos($haystack, $value) === false)
         $foundit = $value;
   }
   return $foundit;
}
?>

[Weedpacket]

      if (!strpos($haystack, $value) === false) 

But you're not wanting to look for the value, you're wanting to look for the key. Change the [man]foreach/man to get that as well.

[hatching]

I'm very new to php but what curb described is what I am looking for. Not to steal the thread, can somebody post an example of what weedpacket was referring to for foreach() and looking for the key?

[laserlight]

Weedpacket linked to the PHP manual's entry on foreach. Take a look at that.