note 95210 added to language.types.array

If you ever wondered if you can do something like: <?php $a = function_that_returns_an_array()['some_index']['some_other_index'] ; ?> The answer is no, you can't. But you can use the following function. I named it i() because it's a short name and stands for "to index". <?php /** * Usage: i( $array, $index [, $index2, $index3 ...] ) * * This is functionally equivalent to $array[$index1][$index2][$index3]... * * It can replace the more prolix * * $tmp = some_function_that_returns_an_array() ; * $value = $tmp['some_index']['some_other_index'] ; * * by doing the job with a single line of code as in * * $value = i( some_function_that_returns_an_array(), 'some_index', 'some_other_index' ) ; * * Note that since this function is slower than direct indexing, it should only be used in cases like the one * described above, for improving legibility. * * @param $array * @param $index * @param [optional] $index2, index3, ... * @throws Exception when the indexes do not exist */ function i(){ $args = func_get_args(); $array = $args[0];//gets the fist parameter, $array $indexes = $args; unset($indexes[0]);//because indexes[0] is actually not an index, but the first parameter, $array foreach( $indexes as $index ){ if( (! is_array($array)) || (! array_key_exists( $index, $array )) ){ throw new Exception("Array index out of bounds. Parameters:".print_r($args,true)); } $array = $array[$index]; } return $array; } ?> ---- Server IP: 69.147.83.197 Probable Submitter: 187.20.125.35 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.types.array.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/95210 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/95210 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/95210 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php