PHP Array Unique

Question

I believe my issue is fairly basic and simple, but I think I am not getting through it.I have a PHP array which has been dynamically populated with data from the database

    $PInvoicesList=array();
    $SelectPInvoicesList ="SELECT * FROM AllDataEntriesList 
                            WHERE BusinessID = '{$businessid}' 
                            AND DocumentType = 'purchaseinvoice' 
                            ORDER BY Time ASC;";
    $SelectPInvoicesList_query = mysqli_query($connection, $SelectPInvoicesList);
    if(!$SelectPInvoicesList_query){
        die ("Database query for searching Purchase Invoices failed.".mysqli_error($connection));
    }
    while ($SelectPInvoicesList_array = mysqli_fetch_assoc($SelectPInvoicesList_query)){

        $PInvoicesList[]=$SelectPInvoicesList_array["DocumentID"];
    }
    array_unique($PInvoicesList);
    print_r($PInvoicesList);

And this gives me an array

Array ( [0] => pk-000000003-purchaseinvoice-1 
        [1] => pk-000000003-purchaseinvoice-1 
      )

When I apply array_unique($PInvoicesList, SORT_STRING);, I get both of both elements in the array, whereas they both have the same data. I used this function as array_unique($PInvoicesList, SORT_REGULAR); but still both the elements in the array are appearing and they have the exact same data. Can anyone guide me how can I remove the elements with duplicate values from this array?

Better still show us how this array is created and we can fix it at source rather than frig it after some mistake was made... _Good coding practice by the way, fix error at source_ — RiggsFolly, Oct 10 '16 at 17:19
Please show us the exact output from `var_dump(PInvoicesList);`. `array_unique()` is the correct function, but your two values are not the same. — Rizier123, Oct 10 '16 at 17:23
@RiggsFolly thats because this code is getting data from database and this data is actually present in database. — UmarAbbasKhan, Oct 10 '16 at 17:29
Regardless of what else is going on, `array_unique($PInvoicesList);` _will not change_ `$PInvoicesList`. `array_unique` _returns_ a new array with the distinct array. It doesn't affect the original array. — Don't Panic, Oct 10 '16 at 17:30
FIX: `SELECT DISTINCT DocumentID FROM AllDataEntriesList` You will only get one and the query will run faster as you are not returning other columns you have no use for ___Dont fix it, do it right in the first place___ — RiggsFolly, Oct 10 '16 at 17:30
I hope by pointing that out about `array_unique` that I did not appear to be advocating that as a good solution to this problem. — Don't Panic, Oct 10 '16 at 17:35

Chandana Kumara · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-11T02:11:54.403

0

The array_unique() removes duplicate values from an array. Just use array_unique()

Refer this http://php.net/manual/en/function.array-unique.php

$result = array_unique($PInvoicesList);

edited Oct 11 '16 at 02:11

answered Oct 10 '16 at 17:19

Chandana Kumara

2,485
1
22
25

1

How should removing the sorting parameter make a difference? – Rizier123 Oct 10 '16 at 17:28
This answer is correct because I was making a mistake trying to change the original array, whereas array_unique makes up another array and puts the data inside that new array. – UmarAbbasKhan Oct 10 '16 at 17:31
___Dont fix up bad ideas. Do it right to start with___ – RiggsFolly Oct 10 '16 at 17:33
@RiggsFolly I called all the data from database because I needed more attributes for the same documentid at the same time. – UmarAbbasKhan Oct 10 '16 at 20:41
@Rizier123 - array_unique() default use SORT_REGULAR for sorting. Therefore no need to add manually. Anyway I removed that condition from my answer. – Chandana Kumara Oct 11 '16 at 02:10

PHP Array Unique

1 Answers1