[RESOLVED] sorting a multidimentional array based on an object property

[jmack159]

hello there,

running php 4.4.7

im trying to load staff member information from a database, and currently i divide them into a multidimensional array based on committee. i want to sort the array containing objects based on a property of the objects: i want the committee chairman to be the first value in the corresponding committee's array. currently this is the code i use to load the committee members:

function getAllStaffByCommittee(){
   		global $staff;

	$q = "SELECT * "
		."	FROM ".TBL_USERS." as users, ".TBL_STAFF." as staff "
		."WHERE "
		."	(staff.status = '".STATUS_UNCONFIRMED."' "
		."	|| staff.status = '".STATUS_AUTHENTICATED."') & (users.id = staff.user_id) & " 
		."	(users.userlevel = '".STAFF_MEMBER_LEVEL."' "
		."	|| users.userlevel = '".STAFF_CHAIR_LEVEL."') ORDER BY staff.id";
	if(!($result = mysql_query($q))){
		die(mysql_error());
	}else{
		if(!mysql_num_rows($result) > 0){
			return false;
		}
		$allStaff = array();
		$comms = explode(",", COMMITTEE_CHOICES);
		while($resObj = mysql_fetch_object($result)){
			$staff = new Staff;
			$staff->loadStaffMember($resObj->id);
			foreach($comms as $comm){
				if($comm == $staff->committee['assign']){
					$allStaff[$comm][$staff->id] = $staff;
				} 
			}
		}
		return $allStaff;
	}
}

the sorting should be based on this property: (bool)$staff->committee['chair'],
or inside the multidimensional array: $allStaff[committee][id]->committee['chair']

i think i have to use array_multisort(), but there aren't really any examples using a property of an object in an array to sort by. any help is greatly appreciated! thanks!

take care,

[Weedpacket]

I find [man]usort[/man] (or [man]uksort[/man]) to be the most straightforward way to sort by any criterion that's not completely trivial.

[jmack159]

thanks a lot Weeds!

this is how my function looks now, after playing around for a while:

function getAllStaffByCommittee(){

	$q = "SELECT * "
		."	FROM ".TBL_USERS." as users, ".TBL_STAFF." as staff "
		."WHERE "
		."	(staff.status = '".STATUS_UNCONFIRMED."' "
		."	|| staff.status = '".STATUS_AUTHENTICATED."') & (users.id = staff.user_id) & " 
		."	(users.userlevel = '".STAFF_MEMBER_LEVEL."' "
		."	|| users.userlevel = '".STAFF_CHAIR_LEVEL."') ORDER BY staff.id";
	if(!($result = mysql_query($q))){
		die(mysql_error());
	}else{
		if(!mysql_num_rows($result) > 0){
			return false;
		}
		$allStaff = array();
		$comms = explode(",", COMMITTEE_CHOICES);
		while($resObj = mysql_fetch_object($result)){
			$staff = new Staff;
			$staff->loadStaffMember($resObj->id);
			foreach($comms as $comm){
				if($comm == $staff->committee['assign']){
					$allStaff[$comm][$staff->id] = $staff;
				} 
			}
		}
                   //sort to put chairman first
		foreach($comms as $committee){
			if(isset($allStaff[$committee])){
				usort($allStaff[$committee], 
					create_function('$a, $b', 
						'return !isset($a->committee[\'chair\']) 
							&& isset($b->committee[\'chair\']);'));
			}
		}
		return $allStaff;
	}
}

this appears to do the job. hope this can help someone else. thanks again

~RESOLVED~

[bradgrafelman]

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