How Can I Merge Two 2D Arrays in PHP Based on a Shared Column Value?

Merging Two 2D Arrays by Shared Column Value

In the realm of data manipulation, merging arrays often emerges as a common task. This article explores a specific scenario: combining two 2D arrays based on a shared column value.

Imagine two arrays, each containing objects with common identifiers. These arrays might look something like this:

$array1 = [
    ['rank' => '579', 'id' => '1'],
    ['rank' => '251', 'id' => '2'],
];

$array2 = [
    ['size' => 'S', 'status' => 'A', 'id' => '1'],
    ['size' => 'L', 'status' => 'A', 'id' => '2'],
];

Our goal is to merge these arrays into a single array, combining the elements that share the same 'id' value.

PHP's Native Merge Options

PHP offers several functions that facilitate array merging. Let's explore them:

1. array_merge_recursive(): This function combines arrays recursively, overwriting existing keys in the target array with values from the source array. It effortlessly achieves the desired merging, as seen in the following code:

$mergedArray = array_merge_recursive($array1, $array2);

2. Custom Merging Function: For maximum control, we can create a custom merging function:

function my_array_merge(&$array1, &$array2) {
    $result = [];
    foreach ($array1 as $key => &$value) {
        $result[$key] = array_merge($value, $array2[$key]);
    }
    return $result;
}

This function iterates over the arrays, merging the corresponding elements based on their keys.

Conclusion

Combining 2D arrays by shared column values is a common operation. PHP provides native functions like array_merge_recursive() for quick merging. However, for customized merging or performance optimization, custom functions can be employed. The choice of approach depends on the specific requirements and desired control.

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