Reducing Duplicate Entries.

jexx

Hi
The following is part of a script that I use to retrieve details from a local LDAP database and present the results on screen:

The Binding has been done prior to this.

	   $dn = "cn=system";
 	   $filter="(objectclass=*)";
 	   $justthese = array('guid','cn');
 	   $sr=ldap_list($ds, $dn, $filter, $justthese);
 	   $info = ldap_get_entries($ds, $sr);
       		for ($n=0; $n<$info['count']; $n++) {				
			$system_cn = $info[$n]['cn'][0];	
	       		$system_guid[$system_cn] = $info[$n]['guid'][0];	
				}

   foreach ($system_guid as $key => $value) {				

   echo "<br><b>System Name : " . "<font color='yellow'>". $key ."</font></b>";				
   echo "<br><table><tr>";


   $dn = "guid=$value";
   $filter="(objectclass=user)";
   $justthese = array('cn','part_id','followmember');
   $sr=ldap_search($ds, $dn, $filter, $justthese);
   $info = ldap_get_entries($ds, $sr);
   		for ($n=0; $n<$info['count']; $n++) {
			$part_id = $info[$n]['part_id'][0];
			$usr = $info[$n]['cn'][0];
			echo $part_id ." - ". $usr ."<br>";
				}

			echo "<hr align='left' width= '20%'>";
   			echo "</table></tr>";				
}

The script works well resulting in:

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 1
103 - Margaret
134 - James
53 - Frank

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 3
43 - Mark
134 - James
53 - Frank

etc...

However a couple of the entries have duplicates in them:

System Name : Melt Bin 4a
43 - Mark
134 - James
53 - Frank
134 - James
98 - Sarah
87 - Paul
154 - Adam

As you can see '134 - James' appears twice.

How do I adjust the above script to only show unique entries
eg:

System Name : Melt Bin 4a
43 - Mark
134 - James
53 - Frank
98 - Sarah
87 - Paul
154 - Adam

I can't change the formatting of the LDAP database as this has been designed by an out sourced IT team.

They would produce this script for me at a cost - but as I've got it nearly working... can any one help !

Many Thanks

ixalmida

I don't know if there's a way to clean it up from the LDAP side, but you could use an array to store the data before ouput, then you can check it before you output the data.

// Store values in array...
if(! in_array($part_id, $part_array))
{
  array_push($part_array, $part_id);
  array_push($usr_array, $usr);
}

// Display the resulting values...
$count = count($part_array);
for($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++)
{
  echo $part_array[$i]." - ".$usr_array[$i]."<br>";
}

Bjom

Either change the query if you can by adding the DISTINCT key word like so:

SELECT DISTINCT .....

or read them first in an array and then use array_unique($arr) on the array.

jexx

ixalmida - Thanks for the reply.
I had though about an array, but I;m not sure how to adapt my code to use what your suggesting.

Can you help ?

Bjom - Can you use Distinct with LDAP ??

Thanks

jexx

I've added the code to my script like this:

$info = ldap_get_entries($ds, $sr);
       		for ($n=0; $n<$info['count']; $n++) {
				$part_id = $info[$n]['part_id'][0];
				$usr = $info[$n]['cn'][0];

// Store values in array...
if(! in_array($part_id, $part_array))
{
  array_push($part_array, $part_id);
  array_push($usr_array, $usr);
}

// Display the resulting values...
$count = count($part_array);
for($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++)
{
  echo $part_array[$i]." - ".$usr_array[$i]."<br>";
} 


				}
			echo "<hr align='left' width= '20%'>";
   			echo "</table></tr>";				
}

This has result in these errors:

Warning: in_array(): Wrong datatype for second argument in /test.php on line 45
Warning: array_push(): First argument should be an array in /test.php on line 47
Warning: array_push(): First argument should be an array in /test.php on line 48

Lines 45, 47 & 48 being:

45 - if(! in_array($part_id, $part_array))
47 - array_push($part_array, $part_id);
48 -  array_push($usr_array, $usr);

Any Ideas ??

Thanks

ixalmida

Bjom is high - LDAP doesn't natively support SQL-type queries, much less the DISTINCT keyword. The suggestion about using array_unique() could be good, but I would test it with your data to make sure it behaves as you'd expect.

As for how to handle the coding, just replace the "echo" statements in your foreach() loop with an array assignment - think 2-dimensional array where "system" is a key and "part_id" is a sub-key. Initialize the arrays before the first loop, then use array_push() to populate the arrays.

Once you've assigned all the values, you need a new foreach() loop to display them. Yes, this means you have run another loop, but it also means you can do some filtering and sorting (i.e. - asort(), ksort() or array_unique()) before you display the output.

I can get back to you later with an actual code example.

Bjom

Sorry about the ldap. Didnt really pay attention - it has nothing to do with SQL, so there is neither select nor distinct.

For populating the arrays I'd go with the $array[] = $value; syntax if you only add one value at the end of the array (as recommended in the php manual). If you omit the check and use array_unique() instead the code would look like this:

$info = ldap_get_entries($ds, $sr);
for ($n=0; $n<$info['count']; $n++) {
    $part_array[]= $info[$n]['part_id'][0];
    $usr_array[] = $info[$n]['cn'][0];
}

array_unique($part_array);
array_unique($usr_array);

// Display the resulting values...
$count = count($part_array);
for($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++)
{
  echo $part_array[$i]." - ".$usr_array[$i]."<br>";
} 



echo "<hr align='left' width= '20%'>";
	   			echo "</table></tr>";				
	}

jexx

Thanks Bjom.
Adding this creates strange results..

The script runs fine, but I get something like:

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 1
103 - Margaret
134 - James
53 - Frank

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 3
43 - Mark
134 - James
53 - Frank
53 - Frank

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 4
43 - Mark
134 - James
53 - Frank
53 - Frank
53 - Frank
43 - Mark
134 - James

What is seems to be doing is showing Unit1, then Unit2+Unit1, then Unit3+Unit2+Unit

If that makes sense !!

Any ideas ??

Bjom

The way you pull the values out of the $info variable might not be correct.

Try this:

var_dump($info);

and post the result

jexx

Here we go file attached.
Thanks

Bjom

wow that's massive. unfortunately it's not the same data as in the example above and also not formatted. Very hard to read. Could you make it a bit easier to wade through by prettifiying it (i.e. same output as in browser) and providing data as above? maybe rtf or html or pdf would be a suitable format?

Bjom

...or instead give me a var_export(), plain in a textfile like the above, then I can experiment...

jexx

Further details.

Each System has it's own 'group' of users :


System Name : Local Kettle Unit 1
53 - Frank
134 - James
103 - Margaret

System Name : Local Kettle Unit 3
53 - Frank
134 - James
43 - Mark

However Melt Bin 4a has it's own users AND includes the users from System Local Kettle Unit 3 group

System Name : Melt Bin 4a
Local Kettle Unit 3
154 - Adam
87 - Paul
98 - Sarah
134 - James

Using my original posted script. the output can be seem in the attached image output1.png

Making the amendments shown below:

$info = ldap_get_entries($ds, $sr);
for ($n=0; $n<$info['count']; $n++) {
    $part_array[]= $info[$n]['part_id'][0];
    $usr_array[] = $info[$n]['cn'][0];
}

array_unique($part_array);
array_unique($usr_array);

// Display the resulting values...
$count = count($part_array);
for($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++)
{
  echo $part_array[$i]." - ".$usr_array[$i]."<br>";
}



echo "<hr align='left' width= '20%'>";
                   echo "</table></tr>";                

    }

results in the output shown in the attached output2.png

The results from var_export($info) is shown in the attached var_export($info).txt

I hope this makes more sense !!

Many Thanks 🙂

jexx

Any one have any ideas that I can try ??

Thanks 🙂

jexx

I've formatted the output from var_report to make it easier to read..

Anyone any ideas ?? I'd like to get this resolved.

Thanks for the all help.
😕