Parse a delimited array key into a multidimensional key path

Question

Let's say I have the following string in my variable:

$arr['data_|_multilanguage_|_en_|_field'] = 23;

I want to transform that into a multidimensional array as follows:

$arr['data']['multilanguage']['en']['field'] = 23;

I did a recursive function

foreach ($arr as $outer_key => $outer_value) {

    $parts = explode('_|_', $outer_key);

    $reference =& $arr;
    $final_key = count($parts) - 1;
    
    foreach ($parts as $key => $part) {
        if (!$final_key == $key) {
                    
            if (empty($reference[$part])) {
                $reference[$part] = array();
            }

            $reference =& $reference[$part];

        } else {
            $reference[$part] = $arr[$str];
            unset($arr[$outer_key]);
        }
    }
}

The problem is that the var_dump shows that the children are reference. Is there a better way?

Answer 1

You just have a wrong if() statement :

 if (!$final_key == $key) {}

! will be evaluated before ==.
Change it for :

 if ($final_key != $key) {}

(you've got another little issue in your final $reference[$part] = assignment, I corrected it in the following code)

$arr['data_|_multilanguage_|_en_|_field'] = 23;

foreach ($arr as $outer_key => $outer_value) {

    $parts = explode('_|_', $outer_key);

    $reference =& $arr;
    $final_key = count($parts) - 1;

    foreach ($parts as $key => $part) {

        if ($final_key != $key) { 

            if (empty($reference[$part])) {
                $reference[$part] = array();
            }

            $reference =& $reference[$part];

        } else {
            $reference[$part] = $outer_value;
            unset($arr[$outer_key]);
        }
    }
}

And here is your result !

array(1) {
  ["data"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["multilanguage"]=>
    array(1) {
      ["en"]=>
      &array(1) {
        ["field"]=>
        int(23)
      }
    }
  }
}