To return the unique elements (those with a key that exists only once in either array but not in both) try:
function array_unique_diff ($array1, $array2)
{
array_merge(array_diff_key($array1, $array2), array_diff_key($array2, $array1));
}
Example:
$array1 = array('blue' => 1, 'red' => 2, 'green' => 3, 'purple' => 4);
$array2 = array('green' => 5, 'blue' => 6, 'yellow' => 7, 'cyan' => 8);
array_diff_key($array1, $array2)
returns
array ( 'red' => 2, 'purple' => 4 )
array_diff_key($array2, $array1)
returns
array ( 'yellow' => 7, 'cyan' => 8, )
array_unique_diff($array1, $array2);
returns
array ( 'red' => 2, 'purple' => 4, 'yellow' => 7, 'cyan' => 8, )
array_diff_key
(PHP 5 >= 5.1.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)
array_diff_key — Computes the difference of arrays using keys for comparison
Description
Compares the keys from array against the keys
from arrays and returns the difference.
This function is like array_diff() except the
comparison is done on the keys instead of the values.
Parameters
-
array -
The array to compare from
-
arrays -
Arrays to compare against
Return Values
Returns an array containing all the entries from
array whose keys are absent from all of the
other arrays.
Changelog
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| 8.0.0 | This function can now be called with only one parameter. Formerly, at least two parameters have been required. |
Examples
Example #1 array_diff_key() example
The two keys from the key => value pairs are
considered equal only if
(string) $key1 === (string) $key2 . In other words
a strict type check is executed so the string representation must be
the same.
<?php
$array1 = array('blue' => 1, 'red' => 2, 'green' => 3, 'purple' => 4);
$array2 = array('green' => 5, 'yellow' => 7, 'cyan' => 8);
var_dump(array_diff_key($array1, $array2));
?>The above example will output:
array(3) {
["blue"]=>
int(1)
["red"]=>
int(2)
["purple"]=>
int(4)
}
<?php
$array1 = array('blue' => 1, 'red' => 2, 'green' => 3, 'purple' => 4);
$array2 = array('green' => 5, 'yellow' => 7, 'cyan' => 8);
$array3 = array('blue' => 6, 'yellow' => 7, 'mauve' => 8);
var_dump(array_diff_key($array1, $array2, $array3));
?>The above example will output:
array(2) {
["red"]=>
int(2)
["purple"]=>
int(4)
}
Notes
Note:
This function only checks one dimension of a n-dimensional array. Of course you can check deeper dimensions by using
array_diff_key($array1[0], $array2[0]);.
See Also
- array_diff() - Computes the difference of arrays
- array_udiff() - Computes the difference of arrays by using a callback function for data comparison
- array_diff_assoc() - Computes the difference of arrays with additional index check
- array_diff_uassoc() - Computes the difference of arrays with additional index check which is performed by a user supplied callback function
- array_udiff_assoc() - Computes the difference of arrays with additional index check, compares data by a callback function
- array_udiff_uassoc() - Computes the difference of arrays with additional index check, compares data and indexes by a callback function
- array_diff_ukey() - Computes the difference of arrays using a callback function on the keys for comparison
- array_intersect() - Computes the intersection of arrays
- array_intersect_assoc() - Computes the intersection of arrays with additional index check
- array_intersect_uassoc() - Computes the intersection of arrays with additional index check, compares indexes by a callback function
- array_intersect_key() - Computes the intersection of arrays using keys for comparison
- array_intersect_ukey() - Computes the intersection of arrays using a callback function on the keys for comparison
add a note
User Contributed Notes 11 notes
Ashton ¶
16 years ago
gk at anuary dot com ¶
11 years ago
Improved recursive version.
<?php
/**
* @author Gajus Kuizinas <gk@anuary.com>
* @version 1.0.0 (2013 03 19)
*/
function array_diff_key_recursive (array $arr1, array $arr2) {
$diff = array_diff_key($arr1, $arr2);
$intersect = array_intersect_key($arr1, $arr2);
foreach ($intersect as $k => $v) {
if (is_array($arr1[$k]) && is_array($arr2[$k])) {
$d = array_diff_key_recursive($arr1[$k], $arr2[$k]);
if ($d) {
$diff[$k] = $d;
}
}
}
return $diff;
}
?>
An up to date version is maintained at https://github.com/gajus/flow/blob/master/flow.inc.php#L337.
sjungwirth at matrix-consultants dot com ¶
16 years ago
I needed something a little different where maybe even the keys in multidimensional arrays don't match up. Setting $assoc to false will cause only to check for missing keys, otherwise it compares values as well. This was also based on '2ge at 2ge dot us' function
<?php
function n_array_diff_assoc ($a1, $a2, $assoc=true) {
$r = array();
if(is_array(current($a1))):
foreach($a1 as $k => $v):
if(isset($a2[$k])):
$diff = n_array_diff($a1[$k], $a2[$k], $assoc);
if (!empty($diff)):
$r[$k] = $diff;
endif;
else:
$r[$k] = $v;
endif;
endforeach;
else:
$r = $assoc ? array_diff_assoc($a1, $a2) : array_diff_key($a1, $a2);
endif;
return $r;
}
?>
maxence at pontapreta dot net ¶
19 years ago
Seems to be a great function, especially for n-dimensions arrays. The only problem is that I cannot find it in php 5.0.3 and 5.0.4. Does it really exist ?! :(
[20:27:05][maxence@conurb] ~/test2/php-5.0.4$ grep PHP_FUNCTION * -r | grep -i array_diff_key
[20:27:09][maxence@conurb] ~/test2/php-5.0.4$
AiFiLTr0 [at host] invyl [dot] ath.cx ¶
17 years ago
The recursive function suggested by '2ge at 2ge dot us' will provide you with empty arrays if there's no diff.
This variant of the function cleans up empty arrays and fixes a bug in the first suggested version. It works 100%
.
<?php
function array_diff_key_recursive ($a1, $a2) {
foreach($a1 as $k => $v) {
//$r[$k] = is_array($v) ? $this->array_diff_key_recursive($a1[$k], $a2[$k]) : array_diff_key($a1, $a2);
if (is_array($v))
{
$r[$k]=$this->array_diff_key_recursive($a1[$k], $a2[$k]);
}else
{
$r=array_diff_key($a1, $a2);
}
if (is_array($r[$k]) && count($r[$k])==0)
{
unset($r[$k]);
}
}
return $r;
}
?>
coder at gs dot com ¶
16 years ago
The PHP4 version below works only unidirectionally. If you switch the arrays around i.e. (ar2, ar1) you get different results than (ar1, ar2).
ampf at egp dot up dot pt ¶
19 years ago
Well, you could implement in the code something more powerfull:
http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.array-diff.php#31364
division-par-zero at zilon dot net ¶
16 years ago
you can use this function for return the difference of two array !
<?php
function array_unique_diff_key ($array1, $array2)
{
if (is_array($array1) && is_array($array2))
return array_diff_key($array1, $array2) + array_diff_key($array2, $array1);
else if (is_array($array1)) return $array1;
else if (is_array($array2)) return $array2;
else return array();
}
?>
vlad_mustafin at ukr dot net ¶
18 years ago
One more alternative variant :)
<?
if (!function_exists('array_diff_key')) {
function array_diff_key() {
$argCount = func_num_args();
$diff_arg_prefix = 'diffArg';
$diff_arg_names = array();
for ($i=0; $i < $argCount; $i++) {
$diff_arg_names[$i] = 'diffArg'.$i;
$$diff_arg_names[$i] = array_keys((array)func_get_arg($i));
}
$diffArrString = '';
if (!empty($diff_arg_names)) $diffArrString = '$'.implode(', $', $diff_arg_names);
eval("\$result = array_diff(".$diffArrString.");");
return $result;
}
}
?>
rhallsey at yahoo dot com ¶
10 years ago
Here's a simple function that returns true if all keys in the first array are found in the second array, and false if they aren't.
function same_keys ($a1, $a2) {
$same = false;
if (!array_diff_key($a1, $a2)) {
$same = true;
foreach ($a1 as $k => $v) {
if (is_array($v) && !same_keys($v, $a2[$k])) {
$same = false;
break;
}
}
}
return $same;
}
To check if two arrays have the same structure, ignoring values, execute the function twice, the second time with the arguments reversed.
2ge at 2ge dot us ¶
18 years ago
Hello, if you need diff key of n-dimensional arrays here is nice solution:
<?php
function n_array_diff ($a1, $a2) {
foreach($a1 as $k => $v) {
$r[$k] = is_array($v) ? n_array_diff($a1[$k], $a2[$k]) : array_diff_key($a1, $a2);
}
return $r;
}
?>
it will print everything, what is missing in $a2.
