HTML/PHP - Form - Input as array

Question

I got a form like this

<form>     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level]">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time]">      <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level]">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time]"> </form> 

I'd like to have as $_POST output an array like:

Array (   [1] => Array ( [level] => 1 [build_time] => 123 )   [2] => Array ( [level] => 2 [build_time] => 456 ) ) 

I know I could do something like name="levels[1][build_time]" and so on, but since these elements get added dynamically, it would be hard to add an index. Is there another way?

---

As suggested, I changed my form. I also included my whole HTML now, because I think I'm missing something here. My HTML now:

<div class="form-group">   <label class="col-md-2">Name(z.B. 1)</label>   <div class="col-md-10">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][level]">   </div>    <label class="col-md-2">Bauzeit(In Sekunden)</label>   <div class="col-md-10">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][build_time]">   </div> </div>  <div class="form-group">   <label class="col-md-2">Name(z.B. 1)</label>   <div class="col-md-10">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][level]">   </div>    <label class="col-md-2">Bauzeit(In Sekunden)</label>   <div class="col-md-10">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][build_time]">   </div> </div> 

The output I get now is:

[levels] => Array (   [0] => Array ( [level] => 1 )   [1] => Array ( [build_time] => 234 )   [2] => Array ( [level] => 2 )   [3] => Array ( [build_time] => 456 ) ) 

As suggested in your edit, I edited my form and moved the square brackets to the end of the name. The output I get now is:

[levels] => Array (   [level] => Array (     [0] => 1     [1] => 2   )   [build_time] => Array (     [0] => 234     [1] => 456   ) ) 

I guess that would kind of work, but it still looks complicated. Isn’t there a better way?

Answer 1

Simply add [] to those names like

 <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level][]">  <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time][]"> 

Take that template and then you can add those even using a loop.

Then you can add those dynamically as much as you want, without having to provide an index. PHP will pick them up just like your expected scenario example.

Edit

Sorry I had braces in the wrong place, which would make every new value as a new array element. Use the updated code now and this will give you the following array structure

levels > level (Array) levels > build_time (Array) 

Same index on both sub arrays will give you your pair. For example

echo $levels["level"][5]; echo $levels["build_time"][5]; 

Answer 2

If it is OK for you to index the array, you can do this:

<form>     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[0][level]">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[0][build_time]">      <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[1][level]">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[1][build_time]">      <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[2][level]">     <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[2][build_time]"> </form> 

... to achieve this:

[levels] => Array (   [0] => Array (     [level] => 1     [build_time] => 2   )   [1] => Array (     [level] => 234    [build_time] => 456   )   [2] => Array (     [level] => 111     [build_time] => 222   ) ) 

But if you remove one pair of inputs (dynamically, I suppose) from the middle of the form then you'll get holes in your array, unless you update the input names...