How to exclude an empty key from array using php?

Question

When doing a query in data bank I can receive both arrays as result:

Array
(
    [] => 401
    [BETA] => 223
    [GAMMA] => 195
    [DELTA] => 189
)

Array
(
    [ALFA] => 294
    [BETA] => 223
    [GAMMA] => 195
    [DELTA] => 189
)

What can I do to exclude the entirely line when the key is empty?

I tried something like this, but without success:

foreach($array as $key => $value){
    if(array_key_exists($key, $value) && is_null($value[$key])) {
        unset($key);
    }
    $array = $value;
}

Many thanks in advance!

Community · Accepted Answer · 2023-11-17 19:20:55Z

3

The key is not null, it is an empty string. eg:

$foo = array(""=>"bar");
print_r($foo);

Output:

Array
(
    [] => bar
)

So you would want either empty($key) or $key == '' as your test, the difference being that empty() can match quite a few things.

edited Nov 17, 2023 at 19:20

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Oct 2, 2014 at 17:52

Sammitch

32.5k7 gold badges58 silver badges93 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

Aloysia de Argenteuil Over a year ago

Thank you for your answer, @Sammitch! And how could I exclude it from the array? if(empty($key)){ unset($key); }

Sammitch Over a year ago

@AloysiadeArgenteuil yep.

Scott Doxey · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-02 18:10:45Z

0

Since the key is an empty string you could either remove that specific key:

$test = array(''=>'test', 'test'=>'test');

unset($test['']);

print_r($test);

Or remove all keys that contain only whitespace:

function array_remove_blank_keys($array) {

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

        if (preg_match('/^\s*$/', $key)) {
            unset($array[$key]);
        }

    }

    return $array;

}

$test = array(''=>'test', 'test'=>'test');

print_r($test);
print_r(array_remove_blank_keys($test));

answered Oct 2, 2014 at 18:10

Scott Doxey

4013 silver badges8 bronze badges

Comments

Tala · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-02 18:07:54Z

0

Use the empty($var) function for evaluation. It considers these values empty and returns true if provided with one:

null: the null value,

'': empty string,

0: numeric zero. Only if it is not assigned by direct or indirect assignment such as $var=0 or $var=1-1. Note that the zero string ('0') is not empty,

array(): an empty array,

$var;: an unassigned variable,

false: value of false,

' ': just a space string.

answered Oct 2, 2014 at 18:07

Tala

93711 silver badges29 bronze badges

Comments

todd · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-02 17:44:19Z

-2

Keys are never empty. They would have a numeric index. So just check to see if the key is numeric then unset.

foreach($array as $key => $value){
    if(is_numeric($key)) {
        unset($key);
    }

}

and you don't need to do $array = $value;

answered Oct 2, 2014 at 17:44

todd

3221 gold badge4 silver badges9 bronze badges

4 Comments

AbraCadaver Over a year ago

Really? That will unset ALL of the keys.

Jonathan Kuhn Over a year ago

@AbraCadaver actually, it would just unset the key variable which would do absolutely nothing except make $key unavailable for the rest of that iteration.

AbraCadaver Over a year ago

Haha, good catch. If it worked as I assume todd wanted it to. ;-)

todd Over a year ago

Just noticed that you all down voted me. i wrote that off the top of my head. if i had tested it i would have done unset($array[$key]) as he said he wanted to remove anything that had an empty key. since there are no empty keys it would be a numerical index. I don't think i was that far off

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to exclude an empty key from array using php?

4 Answers 4

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

4 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

4 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related