php array - groups of 3

Question

I'm using Wordpress and I got 2 queries. One query is featured posts and the other is pulling standard posts. I'd like to replicate something similar to https://www.coolworks.com/winter-jobs. But theyre doing groups of 4. I'd like to do groups of 3.

So I'd like to show 3 featured posts, then 3 standard posts then repeat. How can I merge these arrays in php so they achieve my order?

$a1 = ['standard_1', 'standard_2', 'standard_3', 'standard_4', 'standard_5', 'standard_6', 'standard_7', 'standard_8', 'standard_9', 'standard_10'];
$a2 = ['featured_1', 'featured_2', 'featured_3', 'featured_4', 'featured_5', 'featured_6', 'featured_7', 'featured_8', 'featured_9', 'featured_10'];

// how do i get this order?

featured_1
featured_2
featured_3

standard_1
standard_2
standard_3

featured_4
featured_5
featured_6

standard_4
standard_5
standard_6

featured_7
featured_8
featured_9

standard_7
standard_8
standard_9

featured_10

standard_10

Are bothj arrays the same length?

splash58
– splash58

2017-11-24 16:32:45 +00:00
Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 16:32 — splash58
– splash58, Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 16:32
Sounds like it might be worth looking into array_chunk().

MCMXCII
– MCMXCII

2017-11-24 16:34:53 +00:00
Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 16:34 — MCMXCII
– MCMXCII, Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 16:34

Eddie · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-24 16:32:49Z

How about something like this?

    $combined = array();
    do {
        for ($x = 0 ; $x < 3; $x++){ 
            if ( count( $a2 ) ) {
                $combined[] = $a2[0];
                array_shift ( $a2 );
            }
        }

        for ($x = 0 ; $x < 3; $x++){ 
            if ( count( $a1 ) ) {
                $combined[] = $a1[0];
                array_shift ( $a1 );
            }
        }
    } while ( count( $a1 ) || count( $a2 ) );

This will result to:

Array
(
    [0] => featured_1
    [1] => featured_2
    [2] => featured_3
    [3] => standard_1
    [4] => standard_2
    [5] => standard_3
    [6] => featured_4
    [7] => featured_5
    [8] => featured_6
    [9] => standard_4
    [10] => standard_5
    [11] => standard_6
    [12] => featured_7
    [13] => featured_8
    [14] => featured_9
    [15] => standard_7
    [16] => standard_8
    [17] => standard_9
    [18] => featured_10
    [19] => standard_10
)

Mureinik · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-24 16:32:55Z

1

I'd just iterate over both of them in groups of three:

$result = array();
$featured_index = 0;
$standard_index = 0;

while ($featured_index < count($featured) && $standard_index < count($standard)) {
    for ($i = 0; 
         $i < 3 && $featured_index < count($featured); 
         ++$i, ++$featured_index) {
        $result[] = $featured[$featured_index]; 
    }

    for ($i = 0;
         $i < 3 && $standard_index < count($standard); 
         ++$i, ++$standard_index) {
        $result[] = $standard[$standard_index]; 
    }
}

answered Nov 24, 2017 at 16:32

Mureinik

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