Problem with 4 dimensional arrays and recursive functions

[James]

Hey all,

Hope someone is able to help me out here
As suggested by the title, I'm using a 4 dimensional array to hold category information (hierarchially). I know the right data is in the right places in the array because I can do a print_r($array) statement and it shows it correctly.
But here is the dilemma:

I'm using a pair of loops to get down to the fourth level in the array:

  while ( list($key1,$val1)=each($cache["$categoryid"]) ) {
    while ( list($key2,$category)=each($val1) ) { 

And it just isn't working. No errors, warnings etc. Anything placed after that first while() statement just doesn't execute. Just above that I have:

print_r($cache[$categoryid]); 

which works fine and produces this:

Array
(
    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
            [catid] => 1
            [1] => Advertising Services
            [name] => Advertising Services
            [2] => 0
            [parent] => 0
            [3] => Advertising Services
            [description] => Advertising Services
            [4] => 189
            [visits] => 189
            [5] => 0
            [hide] => 0
        )

) 

which is exactly as it should be.

I've been coding all day now so it's probably something silly but I'm getting desperate any help is extremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance
P.S. In case you're wondering what on earth this has to do with recursive functions, it is being used in a recursive function

[7stud]

Hi,

The only way the second while loop will fail to execute is if there are no elements in the array $vall. Did you check to see if the variables are the same:

val1 <=> vall

If I take those two variables and put them in EditPlus it gives me:

val1 = vall; 

Can you tell them apart?

[James]

I'm only using a $val1 variable - not $vall.
Both while() statements are just using $val1.
I also tried it with an empty variable and it came up with an error about not being an array, which confuses me even more. Surely that means that the variables I'm using are arrays also?

Thanks for your help much appreciated.

[James]

I managed to rewrite the function in such a way that it doesn't need 4-d arrays (it is now over 5 times longer but that's beside the point ). Thanks for your help anyway

[freakysid]

Just on a broader design issue - James, did you think about designing a Class to encapsulate that data structure? I know that my brain is incapable of conceptualising a four dimensional array

[James]

lol so is mine, that's why my method above failed
No I didn't think about doing a class for it, and looking back it might have been a good idea. Though for now I'm happy because it works and is fairly efficient If I ever redevelop that function (not likely for a while ) then I'll see about doing a class.