Array help - Get value in default language if it doesn't exist in the other.

[DssTrainer]

This one is kinda tricky... and tho I'm decent with php, arrays can often blow me away....

I have an array of data pulled from a database:

$res
: array = 
  0: array = 
    unit_id: string = "1"
    unit_name: string = "Apple"
    language_id: string = "1"
  1: array = 
    unit_id: string = "2"
    unit_name: string = "Banana"
    language_id: string = "1"
  2: array = 
    unit_id: string = "2"
    unit_name: string = "plátano"
    language_id: string = "2"

language_id 1 = English
language_id 2 = Spanish

I'm trying something like:

function getLang($res, $curlang='1') {
	$res2 = array();  	
	foreach ($res as $r) {
    		if ($r['language_id'] == $curlang) {
    			res2[] = $r;
		} else {
			??????
		}
	}
	return $res2;
}

If I want English Items, I set $curlang = '1' and want to return:

$res
: array = 
  0: array = 
    unit_id: string = "1"
    unit_name: string = "Apple" <== English
    language_id: string = "1"
  1: array = 
    unit_id: string = "2"
    unit_name: string = "Banana" <== English
    language_id: string = "1"

If I want Spanish Items, I set $curlang = '2', and I want all the spanish versions of the record as defined by unit_id and language_id. But if there is no spanish version for the unit_id, I want it to default to the english version. So i should see:

$res
: array = 
  0: array = 
    unit_id: string = "1"
    unit_name: string = "Apple" <== English
    language_id: string = "1"
  2: array = 
    unit_id: string = "2"
    unit_name: string = "plátano" <== Spanish
    language_id: string = "2"

How can I do this? I'm not sure how to associate first the unit_ids, then get the language ids because it won't always be "unit_id".. it could "part_id" or "model_id" or any other "xxxx_id". However, it WILL always be "language_id"

[DssTrainer]

still no ideas for this one?

[Weedpacket]

First of all, I'd put the different languages in different arrays. And have those arrays indexed by unit_id. To keep track of all those different arrays, I put them in an array as well.

$strings_by_language = 
foreach($strings as $string)
{
    $strings_by_language[$string['language_id']][$string['unit_id'] = $string['unit_name'];
}

(That could be done when fetching the data from the database.) Use print_r() to see what that looks like.

I'd use names (constants) instead of magic numbers for language_id and unit_id (the name of the language and the default text of the string, for example). But anyhow...

To get an array of strings where the text of Language 2 is used if the Language 2 array has text to use, and the text of Language 1 otherwise (see the advantage of using names instead of numbers?)

Now the magic happens (see the array operators section of the manual for what '+' does in this context).

// These numbers are language IDs.
$strings_to_use = $strings_by_language[2] + $strings_by_language[1];

Using the example data given, $strings_to_use[2] = 'plátano' and $strings_to_use[1]='apple'. (those numbers are unit IDs).

Oh, and PS.: content-free posts like

DssTrainer wrote:

still no ideas for this one?

are considered rude.

[DssTrainer]

I'm well aware of forum etiquette, but after a week in a popular forum, things get lost. Coulda just said "BUMP!" and been really really rude... all the same.. you replied thus condoning my bad behavior 🙂

Thank you all the same, I will try to work with your ideas.

[Weedpacket]

DssTrainer wrote:

you replied thus condoning my bad behavior

Usually it guarantees that I won't reply.

but after a week in a popular forum, things get lost.

After a week thinking about the problem you ought to have some new ideas of your own to add 🙂