Inserting a multi-dimensional php array into a mysql database

Question

I have an array from a csv with a similar structure to this:

$array = array(
    array(\'name\', \'age\', \'gender\'),
    array(\'Ian\', 24, \'male\'),
    a         


        

Answer 1

My solution in 2 aproaches.

1. Save the array values as serialized representations of the data in a simple DB table.

2. Save the array values in separate table fields.

Working example:

$array = array(
    0 => array ( "name", "age", "gender"),
    1 => array ( "Ian", "24", "male"),
    2 => array ( "Janice", "21", "female")
);

foreach($array as $key1 => $value1){
    foreach($value1 as $key2 => $value2){
        // assuming the first element (0) in the array is the header value and the header value is a valid array key
         if($key1 > 0){
              $items[$key1-1][ $array[0][$key2] ] = $value2;
         }
    }    
}

// 1. store values as serialized representation
foreach ($items as $key => $value) {
    $sql = "INSERT INTO datatable SET data = ".mysql_real_escape_string(serialize($value))."";
    echo $sql.PHP_EOL;
}

// 2. auto create fields in database and store values
foreach ($array[0] as $key1) {
    $sql = "ALTER TABLE forms ADD '".$key1."' TEXT NOT NULL";
    echo $sql.PHP_EOL;
}
foreach ($items as $key1 => $value1) {
    foreach($value1 as $key2 => $value2){
        $sql = "INSERT INTO datatable SET ".$key2." = '".mysql_real_escape_string($value2)."'";
        echo $sql.PHP_EOL;
    }
}