How to combine the same array multiple times?

Question

I would like to ask for help with this simple task. Say I have one array('a', 'b', 'c'). What I want is to combine the exact same array several times into the same or a new empty array. For example, a 3x merge would create this:

array('a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b', 'c')

I know it exists array_merge, but how to use it if I have an optional number of times when the array should be combined? Of course, I could sing and merge:

$new = array();
for ($i=0; $i < $howManyTimes; $i++) {
    $new = array_merge($new, array('a', 'b', 'c'));
}

Or I could use hack, juggle between strings and arrays:

$new = str_split(str_repeat(implode('', array('a', 'b', 'c')), $howManyTimes));

However, none of these approaches feels good, so I would appreciate any ideas and other / better ways to do what I need in PHP (5).

Thank!

EDIT: @Amal Murali, , . , , . 10 000 :

• array_merge() 37
• array to string to array 7 !!

, array_merge, , , .

, ;)

Answer 1

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array_merge()

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function repeatMerge($array, $rCount)
{
    return call_user_func_array('array_merge', array_fill(1, $rCount, $array));
}

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- array_merge() . :

function repeatLoops($array, $rCount)
{
    $result = [];
    $eCount = count($array);
    for($j=0; $j<$rCount; $j++)
    {
        for($i=0; $i<$eCount; $i++)
        {
           $result[]=$array[$i];
        }
    }
    return $result;
}

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Benchmark . , "" ( , ), - , , , array_merge(), . tesing:

$array      = range(1, 1000);
$count      = 1000;

1E1 :

//first function (repeatMerge), 1E1=10 times
array(3) {
  [1]=>
  float(2.1156709194183)
  [2]=>
  float(0.21156709194183)
  [3]=>
  int(10)
}
//second function (repeatLoops), 1E1=10 times
array(3) {
  [1]=>
  float(1.6837940216064)
  [2]=>
  float(0.16837940216064)
  [3]=>
  int(10)
}

1E2 :

//first function (repeatMerge), 1E2=100 times
array(3) {
  [1]=>
  float(20.907063007355)
  [2]=>
  float(0.20907063007355)
  [3]=>
  int(100)
}
//second function (repeatLoops), 1E2=100 times
array(3) {
  [1]=>
  float(16.947901964188)
  [2]=>
  float(0.16947901964188)
  [3]=>
  int(100)
}

( - , , , ). ( github).

• [1] ( ) :
• [2] ( ) : avg.
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Answer 2

. .

@alma-do repeatMerge(…):

$new = array_merge(...array_fill(0, $howManyTimes, ['a', 'b', 'c']));

. , repeatMerge(…). . , , - , , - splat PHP 5.6 .