Using preg_match on a multidimensional array to return key values arrays

Question

I have an array that is structured as such:

$data = array(
    "abc"=>array(
            "label" => "abc",
            "value" => "def",
            "type" => "ghi",
            "desc" => "jkl",
            ),
    "def"=>array(
            "label" => "mno",
            "value" => "qrs",
            "type" => "tuv",
            "desc" => "wxyz",
            ),
    );

I want to use preg_match with a foreach loop to perform a search on the arrays contained in $data and return the nested arrays of key value pairs.

Answer 1

Something like this?

<?php
$data = array(
    "abc"=>array(
            "label" => "abc",
            "value" => "def",
            "type" => "ghi",
            "desc" => "jkl",
            ),
    "def"=>array(
            "label" => "mno",
            "value" => "qrs",
            "type" => "tuv",
            "desc" => "wxyz",
            ),
    );

$matches = array();
$pattern = "/a/i";  //contains an 'a'
//loop through the data
foreach($data as $key=>$value){
    //loop through each key under data sub array
    foreach($value as $key2=>$value2){
        //check for match.
        if(preg_match($pattern, $value2)){
            //add to matches array.
            $matches[$key]=$value;
            //match found, so break from foreach
            break;
        }
    }
}
echo '<pre>'.print_r($matches, true).'</pre>';
?>

Answer 2

for the googlers out there here's the better code

$data = <as above>
$pattern = "/whatever/";

$matches = array_filter($data, function($a) use($pattern)  {
    return preg_grep($pattern, $a);
});

Answer 3

If you are using PHP 5.5 and are viewing this question in 2015, this might be a more simple answer:

$elements= array_column($array, 1); //Where 1 is the name of the column or the index
$foundElements = preg_grep("/regex/i", $elements);

Answer 4

$c=['abccd','123','12qw']; // where u'll search
$a = Array('/a/i', '/\d/i', '/\d+\w/i'); // what is
$b = array_map(function($a,$c){return (preg_match_all($a,$c,$m))? ($m[0][0]) : '';}, $a,$c);
print_r($b);

Answer 5

preg_grep('/needle/iu', array_column($haystack, "columnName", "keyName" ) );

Case-insensitive unicode grep on column columnName in array $haystack

Answer 6

preg_match_all returns the rows that match a pattern with a specific column name.

$pattern = "/REDUCTION/i";
$reductions = array_filter($data, function($a) use($pattern)  {
    return preg_match_all($pattern, $a['budget']);
});