I finally got my head around multi-dimensional arrays

[DS1]

*sniffle*

I've been avoiding them years.

Now I might have to start calling myself a programmer. I want to crack a beer, but there's still 90 minutes of work left, and I should practice more anyway.


Yes, this is geek speak.


:toast:

[billyskank]

1. Very good.

But you can only start calling yourself a programmer once you have written your first recursive program.

This is a rule I just made up on the spot myself. ;)

:hi:

[redqueen]

5. "This is a rule I just made up on the spot myself."

:rofl:



Congrats, DS1, on your milestone. :toast:

[SOteric]

2. *Beer Vibes*

I look forward to the details.

[DS1]

6. In a world. Where one man and his Microsnot Notepad

can generate giant access lists a mere seconds...

[motely36]

3. Yeah...gotta love arrays

:toast:

[billyskank]

7. Especially when combined with structs.

Struct (record) + array = table!

With pointers and structs, I feel I can organise the whole world! :)

[DS1]

8. I've always let a RAD IDE do the dirty work

this time I had to go it alone

[billyskank]

11. That's the other thing.

Use IDEs to make your life easier for yourself, but understanding yourself the process by which you can accomplish that which the IDE makes easier, that is the doorway to The Tao.

http://www.canonical.org/~kragen/tao-of-programming.html

[DS1]

19. great link

sad and inspiring at the same time. Such is the Tao

[Dangerously Amused]

4. Multi-dimensional arrays. Hmm. Does that involve time travel, or math? Or both?

Either way, I'd be screwn.


But here's to your accomplishment anyway (whatever the hell it is):


:toast:

[DS1]

9. Well, it did make most of the afternoon disappear

:crazy:

[Symarip]

10. I remember when I was programming in Authorware

And we had to base our navigation on multiple arrays. It took me six months before I really understood just what the hell I was doing.

Cheers.

[DS1]

12. heh, thanks

they look so logical when someone else has already written them :7

[Symarip]

13. It's weird

Because it's one of the few area's in programming in my experiences where you actually have to create it in order to learn from it. If someone else has made the array, you can just work around it and you really don't have a full grasp of what it really does (or can do, for that matter).

[mainegreen]

14. Just now? You'd hate my code.

I'm legendary for my use of multidimensional arrays. Want to filter, sort, and reduce to unique values a strange set of data? Use an n-dimensional array with data as the keys and recursively sort! No need to think!

I just got done with a datagrid component that uses an array to store multiple states, datasets, definitions, event listeners, and validators in one big-ass multidimensional array. It's like XML without the clutter (or the self-documenting features).

Seriously though, one of the big strengths of PHP is the way it handles arrays. Powerful. Hella powerful. Most languages can't even come close. Of course, PHP's entire datastate is really just one big-ass array ('cause that's basically what the symbol table is).

print_r($GLOBALS) and there it is.

Congrats! It's fun mastering something you know you should know. I just buckled down last week and *really* learned regex. I felt more 'legitimate' after that.

[DS1]

16. hah

regex whipped my ass earlier this week.

I'm fairly self-taught with all this, but I'm looking forward to banging my way down the hallway to enlightenment!

[mainegreen]

18. Ain't nothing wrong with self taught.

That's what I am, as well as half the people at my office.

[Anonymous-Thoughts]

15. Array of Arrays!

It is actually pretty simple. It is just an array of arrays!

Here is a basic algorithm for a multi-dimensional array:

Arr x = ( 1 => "a", 2 => "b" )
Arr y = ( 1 => "c", 2 => "d" )
Arr z = ( 1 => "e", 2 => "f" )

Arr w = ( 1 => x, 2 => y, 3 => z )

Array w now has the arrays x, y, and z in it; thus, it is a multi-dimensional array.

w<1><1> == "a"
w<1><2> == "b"
w<2><1> == "c"
...
w<3><2> == "f"

[DS1]

17. Yes

but ~using~ them with something useful was the hurdle :)

[LynzM]

20. Cool!

Congrats! :D

[DS1]

22. Thanks!

It's good to get beyond that, and move on, I'm excited to get to the next part!

[flvegan]

21. My college dorm Residential Advisor (RA) wasn't multi-dimensional.

Wait...what are you talking about?

[DS1]

23. What did you think of "Thriller"?

And for people reading, I don't mean the Michael Jackson video

[flvegan]

24. Loved it.

It's tough to take Jezza without interruption for that long, but oh my God. It was the review of that cabrio Zonda that convinced me that the Pagani is indeed, the best car in the world.

The review of the Alfa whateverthehellitwas was pretty funny.

on edit: much thanks again.

[Ptah]

25. Is that like having bees in your head?

:shrug:

[DS1]

26. It's like conquering a hornet's nest you've always avoided

but then your grandkids show up, and you've got to get it done. You get stung a lot, but better you than them.

edit: And the next time the Queen shows up, she'll be all like, I'd better not mess with this douchebag. :D

[Ptah]

27. So, you could give me time and oven temperature to heat treat this piece?

It needs to be at 900 deg F for fifteen minutes and then oil quenched.

[DarkTirade]

28. I don't know if I've ever used more than 3 dimensional ones myself.

Hell, first time I ever did anything with graphics I didn't even use 2 dimensional ones, just one dimensional ones. This was back when I was still using PASCAL. :P

[MilesColtrane]

29. Could you beat Spock at 3D chess?