How Can PHP's `array_column` Function Flatten a Multidimensional Array?

Convert Multidimensional Array into Single Array with PHP's array_column Function

Navigating multidimensional arrays can be a cumbersome task. Especially when working with arrays that have excessive dimensions for seemingly no reason. Here's a solution to flatten such arrays into a simplified single array using PHP's array_column() function.

The Problem Statement:

We're given a multidimensional array with an unnecessary depth:

$array = [
    [
        ['plan' => 'basic'],
        ['plan' => 'small'],
        ['plan' => 'novice'],
        ['plan' => 'professional'],
        ['plan' => 'master'],
        ['plan' => 'promo'],
        ['plan' => 'newplan']
    ]
];

The Goal:

Our objective is to convert this multidimensional array into a simpler single array with the following structure:

$newArray = ['basic', 'small', 'novice', 'professional', 'master', 'promo', 'newplan'];

The Solution:

The array_column() function comes to our rescue. It allows us to extract a column of values from a multidimensional array based on a specified key:

$newArray = array_column($array, 'plan');

Here, the first argument is the array we wish to flatten. The second argument specifies the key ('plan') from which we want to extract the values.

How array_column Works:

array_column() iterates over the multidimensional array and for each inner array, it retrieves the value corresponding to the specified key. It then creates a new array with these extracted values.

Additional Note:

The array_column() function is straightforward to use and can greatly simplify working with complex arrays. For more information and examples, refer to the official PHP documentation at:

https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.array-column.php

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