Using usort() on multidimensional alphanumeric array (numbers first)

Question

Here is an example array I am attempting to sort:

$array = (object)array(

    'this' => 'that',
    'posts'=> array(
        'title' => '001 Chair',
        'title' => 'AC43 Table',
        'title' => '0440 Recliner',
        'title' => 'B419',
        'title' => 'C10 Chair',
        'title' => '320 Bed',
        'title' => '0114'
    ),
    'that' => 'this'
);

usort($array->posts, 'my_post_sort');

Here is the function I am using to sort:

function my_post_sort($a, $b) {

    $akey = $a->title;
    if (preg_match('/^[0-9]*$',$akey,$matches)) {
      $akey = sprintf('%010d ',$matches[0]) . $akey;
    }
    $bkey = $b->title;
    if (preg_match('/^[0-9]*$',$bkey,$matches)) {
      $bkey = sprintf('%010d ',$matches[0]) . $bkey;
    }

    if ($akey == $bkey) {
      return 0;
    }

    return ($akey > $bkey) ? -1 : 1;
}

This gives me the following results:

'posts', array(
    'title' => 'C10 Chair',
    'title' => 'B419',
    'title' => 'AC43 Table',
    'title' => '320 Bed',
    'title' => '0440 Recliner',
    'title' => '0114',
    'title' => '001 Chair'
)

Now, the last step I need is getting the numbers to appear (descending) before the letters (descending).

Here is my desired output:

'posts', array(
    'title' => '320 Bed',
    'title' => '0440 Recliner',
    'title' => '0114',
    'title' => '001 Chair',
    'title' => 'C10 Chair',
    'title' => 'B419',
    'title' => 'AC43'
)

I've tried all kinds of sorts, uasorts, preg_match, and other functions; and just cannot seem to figure out the last step.

Any suggestions or assistance? Thank you.

stant · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-13 23:47:19Z

1

Try this comparing function:

function my_post_sort($a, $b) {

    $akey = $a->title;
    $bkey = $b->title;

    $diga = preg_match("/^[0-9]/", $akey);
    $digb = preg_match("/^[0-9]/", $bkey);

    if($diga && !$digb) {
        return -1;
    }

    if(!$diga && $digb) {
        return 1;
    }

    return -strcmp($akey, $bkey);
}

It will sort in descending order, but place digits before other symbols.

edited May 13, 2016 at 23:47

answered May 13, 2016 at 23:41

stant

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6 Comments

josh Over a year ago

Unfortunately, didn't work. I think the way the titles are structured is causing this to not work?? All titles can/probably will end with letters. Let me please adjust my question to reflect the additional array items.

stant Over a year ago

I'm sorry, forgot to add "/" symbols in preg_match. Corrected.

josh Over a year ago

Still not there. I'm trying to set up a php fiddle now. I still think it has to do with how titles are structured.

josh Over a year ago

How did you get the url to the php lite fiddle? I have one, but I don't know how to "grab" the url to it? Thank you for your continued patience!

josh Over a year ago

AHHH... got it got it :) You are an ALL-STAR! Thank you so much. Now I can reverse engineer your code and help me understand. Thank you so much.

|

xpeiro · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-14 00:09:09Z

0

First of all, I do not think your array can works... You can not have the same key many times on the same array level.

foreach ($array as $key => $title) {

        if ( is_numeric(substr($title, 0, 1)) ) {
            $new_array[$key] = $title;
        }
    }

    array_multisort($array, SORT_DESC, SORT_STRING);
    array_multisort($new_array, SORT_DESC, SORT_NUMERIC);
    $sorted_array = array_merge($array, $new_array);

edited May 14, 2016 at 0:09

answered May 13, 2016 at 23:31

xpeiro

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6 Comments

josh Over a year ago

Thank you. That works fine with same results as my function; and MUCH cleaner. However, the final array is still not sorted with numbers first. How would I move the numbers (descending) to appear before the letters (descending)? Thank you.

xpeiro Over a year ago

Sorry, you wanted desc, now I fix it.

xpeiro Over a year ago

Numbers always are less than letters, so in your case, this function would be enough.

josh Over a year ago

The results are sorting like ('C10 chair', 'B419', ..., '0440 Recliner', '0014. I please need it like this ('0440 Recliner', '0014. ..., 'C10 chair', 'B419').

xpeiro Over a year ago

Yes, I messed up, letters are bigger... Try that. You must assign different key for each one.

|

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