Maybe a multidimensional array?

[fezzik]

I need some help with creating a method to manage information from a form. The form has 2 input fields. The 1st field accepts a number similar to a sku or product code. The 2nd field accepts a number as a quantity.

I think using a multidimensional array is a possible solution to store this data but I'm uncertain as to how to create the array and give it the desired functionality.

One of the issues I'm trying to work out is that the form needs to allow the user to input the same product code multiple times. Since there is a count associated with each product code I would like matching product codes to have their count updated rather than being recorded as new entries. So there needs to be some sort of validation to see if the product code has already been entered.

Sample data is as follows:

Product Code(count)
-------------------
111222333(2)
444555666(1)
777888999(3)
111222333(2)

I would like to store the data in the array as:

Product Code(count)
-------------------
111222333(4)
444555666(1)
777888999(3)

Any help is appreciated. If you need more information please let me know.

A friend has helped by creating a untested ASP script that I'm trying to convert to PHP and test but I have been unsuccessful.

[code]
<%
CONST COL_PNUM = 0
CONST COL_QTY = 1

Dim products
Sub AddProduct( prodnum )
    Dim row
    products = Session("Products")
    If Not IsArray(products) Then
        ReDim products( 1, 10 ) ' arbitrary size
        For row = 0 To 10 : products(COL_QTY,row) = 0 : Next
    End If
    ' See if we already have a product by that number
    For row = 0 To UBound(products,2)
        If products( COL_PNUM, row ) = prodnum Then
            ' found match...bump quantity
            products( COL_QTY, row ) = products( COL_QTY, row ) + 1
            Session("products") = products ' save updated array
            Exit Sub ' and we are done
        End If
    Next
    ' no match found, so find an empty slot in array
    For row = 0 To UBound(products,2)
        If products( COL_QTY, row ) = 0 Then
            products( COL_PNUM, row ) = prodnum
            products( COL_QTY, row ) = 1
            Session("products") = products ' save updated array
            Exit Sub ' and we are done
        End If
    Next
    ' no empty slot found...expand array
    newslot = UBDOUND(products,2) + 1
    ReDim Preserve products( 1, newslot + 9 ) ' allow extra space
    ' zap the quantities in the new elements
    For row = newslot To UBOUND(products,2) : products(COL_QTY,row) = 0 : Next
    ' use the first slot for our new product
    products( COL_PNUM, newslot ) = prodnum
    products( COL_QTY, newslot ) = 1
    Session("products") = products ' save updated array
End Sub
%>
[/code]


Cheers, Fezzik

[Nicklas]

Take a look at [url=http://www.php.net/array_unique]array_unique()[/url]

[btherl]

I don't see how array_unique() can be used here..

You can structure it like this:

$products[$id] = $count;
if (isset($products[$id])) {
  $products[$id] += $another_count;
} else {
  $products[$id] = $another_count;
}

Then your final array will look like:

array(
  111222333 => 4,
  444555666 => 1,
  777888999 => 3
);