#21788 [Opn->Sus]: array_multisort() changes array keys unexpectedly given numeric strings as keys

ID: 21788 Updated by: pollita@php.net Reported By: jon@inet-specialists.com -Status: Open +Status: Suspended -Bug Type: Arrays related +Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem Operating System: NT 4.0 SP6a PHP Version: 4.3.0 New Comment: This is due to Zend casting the array key as a numeric in the array declarations. When array_multisort calls zend_qsort any numeric keys are reassigned beginning with 0. I'm reclassifying this as a Suspended Scripting Engine Bug for now (pending discussion), though it's technically expected behavior, and may eventually be reflagged as "Won't Fix". For the moment I'm going to say prefix all your array keys with an extra 0 (or any non-numeric) to force their casting as strings. For the sake of readability by others looking at this bug, the behavior can be recreated with the following - simpler - script. <?php $a = array('000001'=>"Joe", '100002'=>"Joe", '000003'=>"Frank"); $b = array('000001'=>"Smith", '100002'=>"Jones", '000003'=>"Frederick"); array_multisort($a,$b); print_r($a); print_r($b); ?> The expected output would be: Array ( [000003] => Frank [100002] => Joe [000001] => Joe ) Array ( [000003] => Frederick [100002] => Jones [000001] => Smith ) The actual output (because of key type casting) is: Array ( [000003] => Frank [0] => Joe [000001] => Joe ) Array ( [000003] => Frederick [0] => Jones [000001] => Smith ) Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2003-01-20 22:12:41] jon@inet-specialists.com Sorting these 2 arrays Array ( [000001] => Personal, Master [000002] => Information, Gorean [000003] => Information, Gorean [000004] => Books, Information [000005] => Books, Information [000006] => Information, Gorean [000007] => Information, Gorean [000008] => Books, Information [000009] => Books, Information [000010] => Group, Offline [000011] => Internet, Link Collection [120011] => Internet, Link Exchange [000013] => Books, Discussion [000014] => Books, Discussion [150014] => Books, Discussion [000015] => Books, Discussion [000016] => Books, Discussion [000017] => Books, Discussion [000018] => Books, Discussion ) Array ( [000001] => APPROVED [000002] => APPROVED [000003] => APPROVED [000004] => APPROVED [000005] => APPROVED [000006] => APPROVED [000007] => APPROVED [000008] => APPROVED [000009] => APPROVED [000010] => APPROVED [000011] => APPROVED [120011] => APPROVED [000013] => APPROVED [000014] => BROKEN [150014] => BROKEN [000015] => APPROVED [000016] => BROKEN [000017] => BROKEN [000018] => BROKEN ) Results in changed indices in the arrays Array ( [000013] => Books, Discussion [000015] => Books, Discussion [000014] => Books, Discussion [0] => Books, Discussion [000016] => Books, Discussion [000017] => Books, Discussion [000018] => Books, Discussion [000009] => Books, Information [000008] => Books, Information [000004] => Books, Information [000005] => Books, Information [000010] => Group, Offline [000003] => Information, Gorean [000002] => Information, Gorean [000006] => Information, Gorean [000007] => Information, Gorean [000011] => Internet, Link Collection [1] => Internet, Link Exchange [000001] => Personal, Master ) Array ( [000013] => APPROVED [000015] => APPROVED [000014] => BROKEN [0] => BROKEN [000016] => BROKEN [000017] => BROKEN [000018] => BROKEN [000009] => APPROVED [000008] => APPROVED [000004] => APPROVED [000005] => APPROVED [000010] => APPROVED [000003] => APPROVED [000002] => APPROVED [000006] => APPROVED [000007] => APPROVED [000011] => APPROVED [1] => APPROVED [000001] => APPROVED ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2003-01-20 22:05:01] jon@inet-specialists.com <script language="php"> /* The following code produces an unexpected result from the array_multisort() function. The indices of the arrays are are modified for the two entries in which the numeric value reaches the first position of the string index. Granted, all of the indices are numerical, and therefore may be assigned to an integer when converted; however, the expected replacement would be the integer value of the string representation. (i.e. "150014" would become 150014) In actuality, the indices "150014" and "120011" are converted to 1 and 0 respectively. Therefore, the associative array is no longer associative and the indices do not relate to the original arrays, even though the sort order is correct and the two arrays still relate to each other. */ $Category = array( "000001" => "Personal, Master", "000002" => "Information, Gorean", "000003" => "Information, Gorean", "000004" => "Books, Information", "000005" => "Books, Information", "000006" => "Information, Gorean", "000007" => "Information, Gorean", "000008" => "Books, Information", "000009" => "Books, Information", "000010" => "Group, Offline", "000011" => "Internet, Link Collection", "120011" => "Internet, Link Exchange", "000013" => "Books, Discussion", "000014" => "Books, Discussion", "150014" => "Books, Discussion", "000015" => "Books, Discussion", "000016" => "Books, Discussion", "000017" => "Books, Discussion", "000018" => "Books, Discussion" ); $LinksStatus = array ( "000001" => "APPROVED", "000002" => "APPROVED", "000003" => "APPROVED", "000004" => "APPROVED", "000005" => "APPROVED", "000006" => "APPROVED", "000007" => "APPROVED", "000008" => "APPROVED", "000009" => "APPROVED", "000010" => "APPROVED", "000011" => "APPROVED", "120011" => "APPROVED", "000013" => "APPROVED", "000014" => "BROKEN", "150014" => "BROKEN", "000015" => "APPROVED", "000016" => "BROKEN", "000017" => "BROKEN", "000018" => "BROKEN" ); echo("<h3>Sorting these 2 arrays</h3>\n<pre>"); print_r($Category); print_r($LinksStatus); echo("</pre>"); // I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FOLLOWING LINE REASSIGNS INDEXES OF THE ARRAY array_multisort ($Category, SORT_STRING, SORT_ASC, $LinksStatus, SORT_STRING, SORT_DESC); echo("<h3>Results in changed indices in the arrays</h3>\n<pre>"); print_r($Category); print_r($LinksStatus); echo("</pre>"); </script> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2003-01-20 21:58:09] jon@inet-specialists.com <script language="php"> /* The following code produces an unexpected result from the array_multisort() function. The indices of the arrays are are modified for the two entries in which the numeric value reaches the first position of the string index. Granted, all of the indices are numerical, and therefore may be assigned to and integer when converted; however, the expected replacement would be the integer value of the string representation. (i.e. "150014" would become 150014) In actuality, the indices "150014" and "120011" are converted to 1 and 0 respectively. Therefore, the associative array is no longer associative and the indices do not relate to the original arrays, even though the sort order is correct and the two arrays still relate to each other. */ $Category = array ( "000001" => "Personal, Master", "000002" => "Information, Gorean", "000003" => "Information, Gorean", "000004" => "Books, Information", "000005" => "Books, Information", "000006" => "Information, Gorean", "000007" => "Information, Gorean", "000008" => "Books, Information", "000009" => "Books, Information", "000010" => "Group, Offline", "000011" => "Internet, Link Collection", "120011" => "Internet, Link Exchange", "000013" => "Books, Discussion", "000014" => "Books, Discussion", "150014" => "Books, Discussion", "000015" => "Books, Discussion", "000016" => "Books, Discussion", "000017" => "Books, Discussion", "000018" => "Books, Discussion" ); $LinksStatus = array ( "000001" => "APPROVED", "000002" => "APPROVED", "000003" => "APPROVED", "000004" => "APPROVED", "000005" => "APPROVED", "000006" => "APPROVED", "000007" => "APPROVED", "000008" => "APPROVED", "000009" => "APPROVED", "000010" => "APPROVED", "000011" => "APPROVED", "120011" => "APPROVED", "000013" => "APPROVED", "000014" => "BROKEN", "150014" => "BROKEN", "000015" => "APPROVED", "000016" => "BROKEN", "000017" => "BROKEN", "000018" => "BROKEN" ); echo("<h3>Sorting these 2 arrays</h3>\n<pre>"); print_r($Category); print_r($LinksStatus); echo("</pre>"); // I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FOLLOWING LINE REASSIGNS INDEXES OF THE ARRAY !!! array_multisort ( $Category, SORT_STRING, SORT_ASC, $LinksStatus, SORT_STRING, SORT_DESC); echo("<h3>Results in changed indices in the arrays</h3>\n<pre>"); print_r($Category); print_r($LinksStatus); echo("</pre>"); </script> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=21788&edit=1