Sort a complex associative array in PHP

Question

I have an associative array in PHP like:

    $newarray1 = Array (
    [productA] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/agile-java-development/
        [visitcount] => 4
        )
    [productD] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/intro-to-go/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productG] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/node-js-for-developers/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productB] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/beginning-mysql/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productC] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/computer-networks/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productF] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/mongo-database/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productH] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/python/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productI] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/string-theory/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productJ] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/tcs/
        [visitcount] => 1
        )
    [productE] => Array (
        [link] => http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/java-complete-refrence/
        [visitcount] => 2
        )
)

Now I need to sort the entire array based on the visit count. I tried using arsort but it did not work.

You tagged it with `usort`, and that is also the right function ot use. Check out the [PHP manual](http://hk2.php.net/manual/en/function.usort.php) (example #2), it describes how to do it. — Anders, Oct 02 '15 at 20:39
your code has too many errors like key are constants which will show undefined, you values are strings but with out quotes, you are using array as elements but with out commas. — Prafulla Kumar Sahu, Oct 02 '15 at 20:48
Your table would be a whole lot shorter if you left out the constant stuff like `http://sanjosespartan.com/blog/products/` and added it in code. — Tom Zych, Nov 14 '15 at 21:57

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 02 '15 at 20:41

You'll need a custom callback function that compares two outer elements by checking out their ["visitcount"] field. This can be done with usort and if you have a modern version of php you can do it with an unnamed ad-hoc function (you don't need a named one).

usort is simple: give it an array and a function that tells which of its two parameters is greater. Something like:

if($a["visitcount"]>$b["visitcount"]) return 1;
if($a["visitcount"]<$b["visitcount"]) return -1;
return 0;

Hope this helps.

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:23

0

There's already a lot of answers for this. I like this one :

https://stackoverflow.com/a/16788610/4632883

Look harder before posting !

edited May 23 '17 at 12:23

Community

1
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answered Oct 02 '15 at 20:42

Flo

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Sort a complex associative array in PHP

2 Answers2