how to unset empty arrays in php?

Question

i have an array $mainArray of arrays and i would like to remove / undset the arrays that vave keys with no value.

here is my array:

Array
(
[0] => Array
    (
        [msg_id] => 203
        [comment] => Array
            (
                [0] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 
                    )
            )
    )
[1] => Array
    (
        [msg_id] => 202
        [comment] => Array
            (
                [0] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 196
                    )
                [1] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 197
                    )
                [2] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 
                    )
            )
    )
[2] => Array
    (
        [msg_id] => 201
        [comment] => Array
            (
                [0] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 198
                    )
                [1] => Array
                    (
                        [com_id] => 
                    )
            )
    )
)

In this case i would like to look inside comment array arrays and see if there are any of them that have empty values. The best case scenario would be to remove the comment array entirely if all sub arrays are empty.

nut im of with leaving the comment hey there just null

this array should become:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [msg_id] => 203
        )
    [1] => Array
        (
            [msg_id] => 202
            [comment] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [com_id] => 196
                        )
                    [1] => Array
                        (
                            [com_id] => 197
                        )
                )
        )
    [2] => Array
        (
            [msg_id] => 201
        )
)

any ideas on how to proceed?

thanks.

Jason McCreary · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-22 04:26:46Z

array_filter() is what you're after. Particularly a recursive version. The following was taken from a comment on the PHP Doc:.

function array_filter_recursive($array, $callback = null) {
    foreach ($array as $key => & $value) {
        if (is_array($value)) {
            $value = array_filter_recursive($value, $callback);
        }
        else {
            if ( ! is_null($callback)) {
                if ( ! $callback($value)) {
                    unset($array[$key]);
                }
            }
            else {
                if ( ! (bool) $value) {
                    unset($array[$key]);
                }
            }
        }
    }
    unset($value);

    return $array;
}

Community · Accepted Answer · 2023-11-17 19:55:19Z

2

Use php's unset() to unset any array key/value.

More info on this link https://www.php.net/unset

in your case the code can be, (i have not tested it. but let me know if you have any problem and i can fix it)

function unsetCommentFromArray($mainArray) {
    foreach($mainArray as $key => $value) {
        foreach($value['comment'] as $k => $v) {
            if(empty($v['com_id'])) {
                unset($mainArray[$key]['comment'][$k]);
            }
        }   
    }
    return $mainArray;
}

edited Nov 17, 2023 at 19:55

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Mar 22, 2012 at 4:24

Ibrahim Azhar Armar

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Comments

deceze · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-22 04:41:17Z

1

$array = array_map(function ($i) {
    $i['comment'] = array_filter($i['comment'], function ($c) { return $c['com_id']; });
    return array_filter($i);
}, $array);

Requires PHP 5.3 or higher.

answered Mar 22, 2012 at 4:41

deceze♦

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