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PHP PHP Arrays and Control Structures PHP Arrays Multidimensional Arrays

Julie Dowler
Julie Dowler
7,851 Points
Posted by Julie Dowler
Julie Dowler
7,851 Points

What do they want?

This was their question:

In the code below, we have a simple array of contact names. We want to use the $contacts array to fill in the hardcoded list of names and email addresses. To hold the email as well as the name for each contact, we need a multidimensional array, meaning each person in the contact list will have their own array. The first step is to make each person their own single item ASSOCIATIVE array, using 'name' as the key for these internal arrays.

This is what I did. <?php

$alenaHolligan = array('name' => 'Alena Holligan'); $daveMcFarland = array('name' => 'Dave McFarland'); $treasurePorth = array('name' => 'Treasure Porth'); $andrewChalkey = array('name' => 'Andrew Chalkey'); $contacts = array($alenaHolligan, $daveMcFarland, $treasurePorth, $andrewChalkey);

echo "<ul>\n"; //$contacts[0] will return 'Alena Holligan' in our simple array of names. echo "<li>Alena Holligan : alena.holligan@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n"; echo "<li>Dave McFarland : dave.mcfarland@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n"; echo "<li>Treasure Porth : treasure.porth@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n"; echo "<li>Andrew Chalkley : andrew.chalkley@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n"; echo "</ul>\n";

index.php 
<?php
//edit this array
$alenaHolligan = array('name' => 'Alena Holligan');
$daveMcFarland = array('name' => 'Dave McFarland');
$treasurePorth = array('name' => 'Treasure Porth');
$andrewChalkey = array('name' => 'Andrew Chalkey');
$contacts = array($alenaHolligan, $daveMcFarland, $treasurePorth, $andrewChalkey);
echo "<ul>\n";
//$contacts[0] will return 'Alena Holligan' in our simple array of names.
echo "<li>Alena Holligan : alena.holligan@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Dave McFarland : dave.mcfarland@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Treasure Porth : treasure.porth@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Andrew Chalkley : andrew.chalkley@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "</ul>\n";
YAROSLAV SAYKIN
YAROSLAV SAYKIN
1,458 Points
YAROSLAV SAYKIN
YAROSLAV SAYKIN
1,458 Points

I have the same problem. What is wrong? My code is:

<?php
//edit this array
$contacts = array('Alena Holligan', 'Dave McFarland', 'Treasure Porth', 'Andrew Chalkley');
$alena['Alena Holligan'] = array('email' => 'alena.holligan@teamtreehouse.com');
$dave['Dave McFarland'] = array('email' => 'dave.mcfarland@teamtreehouse.com');
$treasure['Treasure Porth'] = array('email' => 'treasure.porth@teamtreehouse.com');
$andrew['Andrew Chalkley'] = array('email' => 'andrew.chalkley@teamtreehouse.com');
echo "<ul>\n";
//$contacts[0] will return 'Alena Holligan' in our simple array of names.
echo "<li>Alena Holligan : alena.holligan@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Dave McFarland : dave.mcfarland@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Treasure Porth : treasure.porth@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Andrew Chalkley : andrew.chalkley@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "</ul>\n";

3 Answers

Julie Dowler
Julie Dowler
7,851 Points
Julie Dowler
Julie Dowler
7,851 Points

Thank you! I tried it and it worked. Here's what I entered:

<?php
//edit this array
$contacts = array(array('name' => 'Alena Holligan'),
                  array('name' =>'Dave McFarland'),
                  array('name' =>'Treasure Porth'),
                  array('name'=> 'Andrew Chalkley'));

echo "<ul>\n";
//$contacts[0] will return 'Alena Holligan' in our simple array of names.
echo "<li>Alena Holligan : alena.holligan@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Dave McFarland : dave.mcfarland@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Treasure Porth : treasure.porth@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "<li>Andrew Chalkley : andrew.chalkley@teamtreehouse.com</li>\n";
echo "</ul>\n";
Alena Holligan
STAFF
Alena Holligan
Treehouse Teacher
Alena Holligan
Alena Holligan
Treehouse Teacher

All of the contacts will still be in the same contact array. Instead of each item in the contact array be a string, each item should be it's own array. This is why it is call Multi-Dimensional. An array within an array.

<?php
$contacts = array( //initial array
                  array('name' => 'Alena Holligan'), //first array item in the array
                  array('name' =>'Dave McFarland'), //second array item in the array
                  array('name' =>'Treasure Porth'), //third array item in the array
                  array('name'=> 'Andrew Chalkley') //fourth array item in the array
);