Grouping a 2D array according to its values

Question

I am trying to get the display logic to behave and stay where it is, and the code has turned into an interesting little problem that would be nice to do for a general solution.

Feel me, it looks like a wall with text, but I tried to format it using simple example data, so it should be clear after a quick walk.

If for some reason all this is a terrible idea, I need to inform before I create an insult to the gods.

Starting from such data, for example:

$data = array(

    array(
        'name' => 'Dave',
        'age'  => '21',
        'city' => 'New York',
    ),
    array(
        'name' => 'Mike',
        'age'  => '19',
        'city' => 'Chicago',
    ),
    array(
        'name' => 'John',
        'age'  => '21',
        'city' => 'Chicago',
    ),
    array(
        'name' => 'Matt',
        'age'  => '19',
        'city' => 'New York',
    ),
    array(
        'name' => 'Luke',
        'age'  => '21',
        'city' => 'New York',
    ),

);

With an array of key names that can be used to group data, for example

$groups = array('city', 'age);

Then the data becomes:

$data = array(

    'New York' => array(
        '21' => array(
            array(
                'name' => 'Dave',
                'age'  => '21',
                'city' => 'New York',
            ),
            array(
                'name' => 'Luke',
                'age'  => '21',
                'city' => 'New York',
            ),
        ),
        '19' => array(
            array(
                'name' => 'Matt',
                'age'  => '19',
                'city' => 'New York',
            ),
        ),
    ),
    'Chicago' => array(
        '19' => array(
            array(
                'name' => 'Mike',
                'age'  => '19',
                'city' => 'Chicago',
            ),
        ),
        '21' => array(
            array(
                'name' => 'John',
                'age'  => '21',
                'city' => 'Chicago',
            ),
        ),
    ),
);

" ", , -, , , , .

, , PHP. - ? , .

Answer 1

function group_array($arr, $fields) {

    if(empty($fields) || !is_array($fields)) {
        return $arr;
    }

    $newarr = array(); // so that we always return an array
    $field = array_shift($fields);

    foreach($arr as $val) {
        $newarr[$val[$field]][] = $val;
    }

    foreach(array_keys($newarr) as $key) {
        // Since we shifted one field off before, this groups by the remaining
        $newarr[$key] = group_array($newarr[$key], $fields);
    }

    return $newarr;
}

Answer 2

, , , .

foreach($data as $row) {
     $data_array[$row['city']][] = $row;
}

Answer 3

, , , ,

function group_objects($array, $fields)
{
    if (empty($fields) || !is_array($fields)) {
        return $array;
    }

    $newArray = array();
    $field    = array_shift($fields);

    foreach ($array as $object) {
        $key = call_user_func(array($object, 'get' . ucwords($field)));
        $newArray[$key][] = $object;
    }

    foreach (array_keys($newArray) as $key) {
        $newArray[$key] = group_objects($newArray[$key], $fields);
    }

    return $newArray;
}