Get index of a key in an array

[oskom]

Hello all,

I've been combing the array pages of php.net with no answer to my question, so here it is...

Is there a method for getting a numeric index of a text key in an array given a corresponding variable? Here's an example:

$arr = array("first" => "apples", "second" => "oranges", "third" => "bananas");
$var = "second";

//THIS IS A MADE-UP FUNCTION NAME, OBVIOUSLY...
array_get_key_index($arr, $var);

//THE DESIRED RESULT WOULD BE 2...OR MAYBE 1 IF YOU'RE ASSUMING STANDARD ARRAY INDEXING, BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.

 

Is there a php function that gives this kind of result?

[paul2463]

$key = array_search('oranges', array_values($arr)); 
echo $key;

 

you can look up in the <a href="http://uk2.php.net/manual/en/function.array-values.php"> MANUAL </a> for what the functions are doing

[sasa]

try

<?php
$arr = array("first" => "apples", "second" => "oranges", "third" => "bananas");
$var = "first";

//THIS IS A MADE-UP FUNCTION NAME, OBVIOUSLY...
if(array_get_key_index($arr, $var) !== false) echo array_get_key_index($arr, $var); else echo 'err';
function array_get_key_index($arr, $var){// first index is 0
if (!is_array($arr)) return false;
$a = array_keys($arr);
return array_search($var, $a);
}
?>

[oskom]

Well, that's not what I'm looking for. I'm searching for the order of the KEY, not the value. In other words, if I've got a variable named "pickles" and an array where the key of the 3rd item in the array is "pickles", I want the function to compare the variable and the array and tell me that my variable corresponds with the key of item number 3. It should assume that I don't know the value of that array item. Does that make sense?

 

sasa, I may have posted this after your post. I'll test your function and see if it's the winner.

[paul2463]

apologies for my first effort another way is

$array = array("first" => "apples", "second" => "oranges", "third" => "bananas");

function findkeypos($arr, $var)
{
$array = (array_keys($arr));
$key = array_search($var, array_values($array)); 
return $key;
}

echo findkeypos($array, 'second'); //prints out 1

[oskom]

Thanks, sasa & paul2463. Both methods worked! I'll flip a coin to see who wins the giant stuffed teddy bear...

 

(time passes)

 

 

It was sasa!!

 

*NOTICE: All claims that someone will win a teddy bear are completely false. Any promises of cuddly toys should be excused as a fabrication of a pathological mind.

[oskom]

sasa, paul2463...I figured out from sasa's function that you can boil the whole thing down.

 

from this:

if(array_get_key_index($arr, $var) !== false) echo array_get_key_index($arr, $var); else echo 'err';
function array_get_key_index($arr, $var){// first index is 0
if (!is_array($arr)) return false;
$a = array_keys($arr);
return array_search($var, $a);
}

 

to this:

echo array_search($var, array_keys($arr));

 

Obviously, I took out the error checking, but for simplicity's sake, this actually works better for my purposes. Thanks, people.

[sasa]

coss, but did you understund logic if i type short way

 

good luck with php