When does CodeIgniter's result_array() method return a single or multi-dimensional array? [closed]

Question

On returning $query->result_array();, sometime I get multiple single arrays like this:

Array ( [user_id] => 32 [username] => johnd [cat_id] => 7 ) Array ( [user_id] => 33 [username] => Janed [cat_id] => 6 )

While other times, I get multidimensional arrays like this:

Array ( [0] => Array ( [user_id] => 33 [username] => Janed [cat_id] => 6 ) [1] => Array ( [user_id] => 32 [username] => Johnd [cat_id] => 7 ) )

Is it something to do with the query, is there a specific reason for this?

Isn't that first example also an array of arrays? How do you reference the second one? Also maybe you are calling result_array() and row_array(). See ellislab.com/codeigniter/user-guide/database/results.html — Matt Urtnowski
– Matt Urtnowski, Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 14:31
The first one just returns the each column in an array(which makes life easy btw), the second returns the columns in an array withing an array. Yh i checked that as well but both of them are result_array() :( — Saff
– Saff, Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 14:40
What do you mean by "sometimes"? How are you iterating / printing the result? Are you sure you are calling result_array? — gen_Eric
– gen_Eric, Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 14:57
@RocketHazmat: that's a very good question. I ran some tests and i found out that it does indeed depend on how the result is printed. — Saff
– Saff, Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 15:02
@Saff: result_array always returns a 2D array. Depending on how you loop/view it, it may look different, but it's not. — gen_Eric
– gen_Eric, Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 15:05

gen_Eric · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-15 15:03:40Z

$query->result_array() always returns you a 2D array (unless the database returns no results, then it returns an empty array).

It returns you an array of "result" arrays. Each result array contains that row's fields.

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