array_search always gives me false

Question

So i am trying to search an array and it always gives me false for some reason even tho the letter exists in the name array. This is what i want it to do , search the array, if a match exist it should add the name to the $data array and send it to the AJAX by encode it to JSON. But my IF always gives false

Edit: The answer in the other question did not solve this since that will always cause my array to return false

    $user = array(


        0 => array(

            "id"=> 0,   
            "photo"=>"smily",
            "name"=>"Name One",
            ),

        1 => array(

            "id"=> 0,   
            "photo"=>"smily",
            "name"=>"Name Five",
            ),

        2 => array(

            "id"=> 0,   
            "photo"=>"smily",
            "name"=>"Name Four",
            ),

        3 => array(

            "id"=> 0,   
            "photo"=>"smily",
            "name"=>"Name Three",
            ),          
       );

$wordToSearch = "N";
$data = Array();

    for($i = 0; $i < count($user); $i++)
    {
        if(array_search($wordToSearch, array_column($user, 'name')) == false)
        {
        array_push($data, array(    
                        'name' => $user[$i]['name'],
                        'img' => $user[$i]['photo'],
                        'pos' => $user[$i]['position'],
                        'Id' => $user[$i]['id']             
                        )
                        );
        echo json_encode($data);
        }

    }

With `array_search` you have to use identity operator `===` because index 0 is evaluated as false — fusion3k, Feb 24 '16 at 14:36
Possible duplicate of [array\_search() not finding 0th element](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12870760/array-search-not-finding-0th-element) — fusion3k, Feb 24 '16 at 14:37

Brad Kent · Answer 1 · 2016-02-24T14:53:08.533

2

I could be wrong, but instead of

if(array_search($wordToSearch, array_column($user, 'name')) == false)

I think you want

if (strpos($user[$i]['name'], $wordToSearch) !== false)

array_column is used to get all the user names or all the user ids
array_search is used to search an array... but I think you're trying to search a string.

unrelated... instead of using array_push($data, array(...));, use $data[] = array(...); it's a bit more efficient as there's no function call.. and in my opinion, it's easier to code & read.

edited Feb 24 '16 at 14:53

answered Feb 24 '16 at 14:47

Brad Kent

4,982
3
22
26

Add $i to strpos(). if (strpos($user[$i]['name'], $wordToSearch) !== false) – besciualex Feb 24 '16 at 14:50
@besciualex: d'oh, you're right... I thought he was foreaching through the users – Brad Kent Feb 24 '16 at 14:55
which one is best doe, foreach or for with $i – saman93 Feb 24 '16 at 17:16

PhizoR · Answer 2 · 2016-02-24T15:02:41.810

0

You can use strpbrk - strpbrk — Search a string for any of a set of characters

foreach ($user as $val) {
    if (strpbrk($val['name'], $wordToSearch) != false) {
         array_push($data, array(    
                        'name' => $val['name'],
                        'img' => $val['photo'],
                        'pos' => $val['position'],
                        'Id' => $val['id']             
                        )
                        );
        echo json_encode($data);

        } 
    }
}

edited Feb 24 '16 at 15:02

answered Feb 24 '16 at 14:52

PhizoR

36
2

This worked kindoish, it would add anyone so for instance if my wordtosearch would be three it would add all the names – saman93 Feb 24 '16 at 15:57

array_search always gives me false

2 Answers2