How Can I Efficiently Search for a Value in a Multidimensional PHP Array?

PHP Multidimensional Array Search by Value for Increased Efficiency

Searching for a particular value within a multidimensional PHP array can be a time-consuming task, especially with large arrays. This article introduces an efficient solution to this challenge.

Searching by User ID (uid) in a User Database

Consider the following 2D user database array:

$userdb = [
    [
        'uid' => '100',
        'name' => 'Sandra Shush',
        'pic_square' => 'urlof100'
    ],
    [
        'uid' => '5465',
        'name' => 'Stefanie Mcmohn',
        'pic_square' => 'urlof100'
    ],
    [
        'uid' => '40489',
        'name' => 'Michael',
        'pic_square' => 'urlof40489'
    ]
];

The goal is to search for a specific uid and return its corresponding array key. For instance, search_by_uid(100) should return 0.

Efficient Search Using a Custom Function

The following custom function provides a faster search than using loops:

function searchForId($id, $array) {
    foreach ($array as $key => $val) {
        if ($val['uid'] === $id) {
            return $key;
        }
    }
    return null;
}

Usage:

$id = searchForId('100', $userdb);

One-Liner for PHP >= 5.5.0

In PHP >= 5.5.0, you can use a one-liner to search an array column:

$key = array_search('100', array_column($userdb, 'uid'));

Conclusion

These search methods significantly improve the efficiency of finding values within multidimensional PHP arrays, providing a faster execution time compared to manual looping methods.

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