Evaluate a string of parameters

Question

I am attempting to create a multisort functionality using an array created from a parsed CSV file.

Here is an example output of what this array looks like

Array (
[1] => Array
    (
        [attribute_set] => Area Rug
        [baybin] => 19B
        [refnumber] => 
        [sku] => 3K34302300
        [rug_size] => 5 x 8
        [collection] => Suncoast
        [style] => Brooke
        [stylenumber] => 3K343
        [colorname] => Sage
        [colornumber] => 02300
        [weight] => 15.0000
        [sold_on] => Overstock
        [shape] => Rectangle
        [yarn] => Olefin
        [construction] => Woven
        [qty] => 58.0000
    )

[16] => Array
    (
        [attribute_set] => Area Rug
        [baybin] => 33C
        [refnumber] => 746916
        [sku] => 3K46500100
        [rug_size] => 5 x 8
        [collection] => Grace Bay
        [style] => Beige
        [stylenumber] => 3K465
        [colorname] => Beige/natural
        [colornumber] => 00100
        [weight] => 27.0000
        [sold_on] => Amazon
        [shape] => Rectangle
        [yarn] => 
        [construction] => Woven
        [qty] => 0.0000
    )

My initial idea

I would be sending the sort and filter parameters through $_GET.
The format would look something like

products.php?C:Suncoast,s:,Z:8 x 10

Using that format, I would first multisort the entire contents of the array created from the CSV, shown below.

For instance, a captial C would stand for Collection Descending, small s for Size Ascending. The colon after the letter indicates the value I would filter by.. AFTER the array is sorted.

My goal is to have these sorts combined; just like in SQL where you can ORDER BY several columns.

So, the only solution I came up with was to create a dynamic string by looping through the parsed GET variables and creating a single string that I would call like so

eval("array_multisort($evalstring);");

As far as I know, array_multisort can only be called one time if I expect a multiple sort functionality i.e sort by collection first, then that by qty.

Perhaps?

Perhaps I am going about this all wrong? Is there a better way to accomplish this? It's usage would be for sorting products (as well as filtering them) to narrow the list down.

Answer 1

First, I would create some convenience functions that help to build the parts that go into array_multisort():

function getColumn($array, $descriptor)
{
    switch ($descriptor) {
        case 'C': case 'c':
            $name = 'collection';
            break;

        case 'S': case 's':
            $name = 'shape';
            break;

        default:
            // use your imagination
    }

    return array_column($array, $name);
}

function getDirection($descriptor)
{
    return strpos('CS', $descriptor) === false ? SORT_ASC : SORT_DESC;
}

Then build the arguments:

$sortParameters = array(&$data);
// based on whatever parses the sorting descriptor
if (false) {
    $sortParameters[] = getColumn($data, 'C');
    $sortParameters[] = getDirection('C');
}

And finally call the sort function:

call_user_func_array('array_multisort', $sortParameters);

Parsing

Here's an idea for a parsing routine:

$str = 'C:Suncoast,s:,Z:8 x 10';
parse_str(strtr($str, ':,', '=&'), $descriptors);

foreach ($descriptors as $symbol => $filter_value) {
    // etc. etc.
}

Answer 2

I Gave Into MySQL

Traversing that CSV file was like trying to pick a lock with a an old rusty paperclip; it might work once, but it's not exactly scalable. The entire time that I attempted and failed and attempted again to make it work, I was eager to finish the project quickly. Using a database was my easy way out of this one.

I simply converted my CSV to a MySQL table and creating the dynamic ORDER BYs and WHERE was much easier.

Now I'm on a role.