Bug #17763 Updated: Interpretation of the term "multi-dimensional array"

ID: 17763 Updated by: jmcastagnetto@php.net Reported By: kristian.raue@gmx.de -Status: Open +Status: Feedback Bug Type: Documentation problem Operating System: all PHP Version: 4.2.1 New Comment: Of the scripting languages I've used (Perl, Awk, Python), as well as some programming langs, usually what you call 'nested array' is referred to a 'multi-dimensional array' (sometimes interchangeably). What you are call 'multi-dimensional array' I would think more of a 'multi-dimensional matrix', which is a totally different concept, and no language I know supports such a structure like that natively. SciPython has support for matrices, and so do some Java libs, etc. If you know of a language that supports the behavior you point of in their *native* array support, I would like to learn. It will be even more usefule if you got some example C code which can implement such constructs, a patch to php4/ext/standard/array.[ch] will be the ultimate "good thing". Waiting for feedback Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2002-06-14 09:41:46] kristian.raue@gmx.de Hello I think the term "multi-dimensional array" might be misleading for some people. Wouldn't "nested array" be more precise? Look at the following sample: $myArray = array( "A"=>Array("1"=>"test","2"=>"test","3"=>"test"), "B"=>Array("1"=>"test","2"=>"test","3"=>"test"), "C"=>Array("1"=>"test","2"=>"test","3"=>"test")); In this sample I can "unset($myArray["B"])" which deletes a elements associated with the key "B", but there is no function to delete all elements which are associated with the key "2" in one step. I have to go through all the elements of the ABC-Array and delete each "2"-Element seperatly. In a multi-dimensional array you could delete (and add)Elements in both dimensions without having to loop through the nested arrays. PS: I very much like the way PHP organizes Arrays, don't change it. It is just the term that confuses me. With Regards Kristian ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=17763&edit=1