Remove empty items from a multidimensional array in PHP

Removing empty items from a single-level array is something trivial in PHP; but it is not so if our array has 2 levels or more. The following function removes empty items from an (multidimensional) array, and returns the resulting array. Please notice that the use of recursion is required because of the array can be of an unknown number of levels, that is, arrays inside the cells of the array, an so on.

This function is useful when by instance, we have a search-form and the user can enter some optional criteria.

  function array_non_empty_items($input) {
    // If it is an element, then just return it
    if (!is_array($input)) {
      return $input;
    }

    $non_empty_items = array();

    foreach ($input as $key => $value) {
      // Ignore empty cells
      if($value) {
        // Use recursion to evaluate cells
        $non_empty_items[$key] = array_non_empty_items($value);
      }
    }

    // Finally return the array without empty items
    return $non_empty_items;
  }

By example, if we pass the following array to the function:

    $anArray = array(
      ‘country’ => ‘CO’,
      ‘region’ => ”,
      ‘city’ => ”,
      ‘features’ => array(
          ‘home’ => array(‘garden’, ‘bedrooms’=>3),
          ‘beach’ => array(‘no_more_than’=>30, ‘yachts_rental’),
          ’supermarkets’ => ”,
          ‘discotheque’ => ”
       )
    );

Then we will obtain an array without empty items, like this:

   $anArray = array(
      ‘country’ => ‘CO’,
      ‘features’ => array(
          ‘home’ => array(‘garden’, ‘bedrooms’=>3),
          ‘beach’ => array(‘no_more_than’=>30, ‘yachts_rental’)
       )
    );

 

Can “your” language beat this? – Part 1

Important: This first post is discussed on JavaHispano.org

This series of posts is not intended to demonstrate the superiority of one language over others, the aim is to find the best way to write code snippets that a GUIs developer faces daily. When i said “the best way“, i mean a proper balance between flexibility and readability, which in my view, defines the quality of a language. The idea is that if you knows a language that allows to improve the way of codifying the snippet shown here (surely you knows), then you published that piece of code here, and then we will evaluate the best. As well are welcomes improved versions of the ones I have posted, and of course, comments in general.

The main reason why i choose JavaFX, is frankly because of i think that is the language that gives more agility to work with graphics (at the moment).

This first part aims to show how to bind two objects, in this case, the color of an object is determined by the text of a text field. If the text inside the text field is ‘aeiou’ then the circle will be filled with the green color, otherwise will be filled with the red color.

Note that understanding the processTheText function as the “controller”, so you can notice the complete separation between the view and the logic.

/*
 * DoItBetter1.fx
 *
 */

package doitbetter;

import javafx.scene.control.TextBox;
import javafx.scene.layout.HBox;
import javafx.scene.paint.Color;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.shape.Circle;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

var theText = "";

Stage {
    title: "Binding between GUI controls"
    width: 400
    height: 200
    scene: Scene {
        content: HBox {
            spacing: 10
            content: [                
                TextBox{                    
                    text: bind theText with inverse
                }
                Circle{                    
                    radius: 10 centerY: 10
                    fill: bind processTheText(theText)
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

function processTheText(auxText){
    if(auxText == "aeiou") Color.GREEN else Color.RED
}