PHP Academy · Lesson

Multidimensional Arrays

Build and navigate arrays of arrays.

Multidimensional Arrays is a free PHP Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the PHP Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Multidimensional Arrays

A multidimensional array is an array where each element is itself an array. Common for structured data like database results or config trees.

2D Array Creation

Create and access a two-dimensional array:

<?php
$matrix = [
    [1, 2, 3],
    [4, 5, 6],
    [7, 8, 9],
];

echo $matrix[1][2]; // 6 (row 1, col 2)
$matrix[0][0] = 99;
echo $matrix[0][0]; // 99

Array of Associative Arrays

Database result sets are often arrays of associative arrays:

<?php
$users = [
    ['id' => 1, 'name' => 'Alice', 'role' => 'admin'],
    ['id' => 2, 'name' => 'Bob',   'role' => 'user'],
    ['id' => 3, 'name' => 'Carol', 'role' => 'user'],
];

echo $users[0]['name'];  // Alice
echo count($users);      // 3

Iterating 2D Arrays

Use nested foreach to iterate all rows and columns:

<?php
$products = [
    ['name' => 'Widget', 'price' => 9.99],
    ['name' => 'Gadget', 'price' => 24.99],
];

foreach ($products as $product) {
    echo $product['name'] . ': $' . $product['price'] . PHP_EOL;
}

Accessing Nested Keys Safely

Use the null coalescing operator to safely access nested keys that may not exist:

<?php
$config = [
    'database' => ['host' => 'localhost', 'port' => 3306],
    'cache'    => ['driver' => 'redis'],
];

$port     = $config['database']['port'] ?? 3306;
$password = $config['database']['password'] ?? '';

echo $port;     // 3306
echo $password; // (empty)

Adding to Nested Arrays

Add elements deep inside a multidimensional array:

<?php
$app = [];
$app['settings']['theme'] = 'dark';
$app['settings']['lang']  = 'en';

$app['users'][] = ['name' => 'Alice'];
$app['users'][] = ['name' => 'Bob'];

echo count($app['users']);       // 2
echo $app['settings']['theme'];  // dark

array_column()

array_column() extracts a single column from a 2D array:

<?php
$users = [
    ['id' => 1, 'name' => 'Alice'],
    ['id' => 2, 'name' => 'Bob'],
    ['id' => 3, 'name' => 'Carol'],
];

$names = array_column($users, 'name');
print_r($names); // ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Carol']

// Re-index by id
$byId = array_column($users, null, 'id');
echo $byId[2]['name']; // Bob

Sorting a 2D Array

Sort rows by a field value using usort():

<?php
$products = [
    ['name' => 'C Item', 'price' => 30],
    ['name' => 'A Item', 'price' => 10],
    ['name' => 'B Item', 'price' => 20],
];

usort($products, fn($a, $b) => $a['price'] <=> $b['price']);

foreach ($products as $p) {
    echo $p['name'] . PHP_EOL; // A Item, B Item, C Item
}

Recursive Operations with array_walk_recursive

Apply a callback to every leaf in a nested array with array_walk_recursive():

<?php
$data = ['a' => 'hello', 'b' => ['c' => 'world', 'd' => 'php']];

array_walk_recursive($data, function(&$val) {
    $val = strtoupper($val);
});

print_r($data);
// ['a'=>'HELLO', 'b'=>['c'=>'WORLD','d'=>'PHP']]

JSON and Multidimensional Arrays

PHP multidimensional arrays map directly to JSON objects and arrays:

<?php
$data = [
    'user'    => ['id' => 1, 'name' => 'Alice'],
    'scores'  => [95, 87, 92],
    'active'  => true,
];

$json = json_encode($data, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
echo $json;

$decoded = json_decode($json, true); // true = assoc array
echo $decoded['user']['name']; // Alice

array_merge vs array_replace for Nested

array_merge is not recursive; use array_replace_recursive to merge nested arrays properly:

<?php
$defaults = ['db' => ['host' => 'localhost', 'port' => 3306]];
$custom   = ['db' => ['host' => 'production.server.com']];

$config = array_replace_recursive($defaults, $custom);
echo $config['db']['host'];  // production.server.com
echo $config['db']['port'];  // 3306 — preserved from defaults

Quick Check

Which function extracts a single column of values from a 2D array?

Recap: Multidimensional Arrays

Key points:

Nest arrays to any depth
Use ?? to safely access missing nested keys
array_column() extracts a column or re-indexes by a key
usort() with a comparator sorts by any field
array_walk_recursive() for deep transforms
array_replace_recursive() for deep merging

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Multidimensional Arrays” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Multidimensional Arrays” is free to read here on the web, and the PHP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the PHP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Multidimensional Arrays”?

Build and navigate arrays of arrays. You practise PHP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start PHP Academy?

No prior experience is required. PHP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Multidimensional Arrays” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this PHP Academy lesson?

Yes. Every PHP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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