Scalar values as arrays

A bizarre error message that only occurs during a for loop

[sawatkins]

The error message I'm getting is:

Warning: Cannot use a scalar value as an array in a_calendar_scheduledhours.php on line 186

Here's what I'm doing

while ($result_row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {
$shifttypesplit = explode(" ", $result_row[0]);
$hours[shifttypesplit[1]] ++; //add them to an array, with the name as the key, and the number of shifts they're on as the value
}

The line that PHP doesn't like is $hours[shifttypesplit[1]] ++;

The problem is, I'm using the EXACT same code on another page. On this page, It's nested inside a FOREACH loop, but otherwise I'm literally doing THE EXACT same thing.

Does anyone have any ideas what's going on?

[Little_G]

Hi,

$hours[shifttypesplit[1]]
should be:
$hours[$shifttypesplit[1]]

Andrew

[g1smd]

That's the sort of error that I stare at for an hour or two before I spot it.

[sawatkins]

Nope, sorry, that's not it.

I actually made that error when relaying it to you ... I'm still getting that error.

Can anyone help?

[Little_G]

Hi,

This error is caused because you are trying to access a variable as an array (using $var[index]) but it isn't an array.
Of the four lines you posted which is line 186?

Andrew

[sawatkins]

Line 186 is:

$hours[shifttypesplit[1]] ++

So, what you're saying is that $hours is not an array?

[Little_G]

Hi,

Yes, that looks like the most likely cause of your problem.

Andrew

[sawatkins]

Well it's about to get crazier Andrew. You see, $hours[] is in fact, an array. (I know, because I used is_array() to find out).

The array itself is causing the problems. I failed to notice earlier that I don't get this error message the FIRST time around the foreach() loop. It gives the error every other time after that.

So, I did what any sensible person would do and tried to unset() and empty() the array. But it didn't work. I *also* tried changing the array so that instead of $hours[$shifttypesplit[1]], it's now $hours[$key][$shifttypesplit[1]], but that didn't seem to help either.

It appears you don't really understand what's happening either. Does anyone truly know what's going on here?

[gabidi]

$hours['$shifttypesplit[1]'] or $hours['shifttypesplit[1]']

Emphasis being the single quotes around your inner array element.

[jatar_k]

or you could

$where = shifttypesplit[1];
echo $hours[$where];

[Little_G]

Hi,

If

$hours

isn't causing the problem then it must be

$shifttypesplit

, if the

explode

function is passed an empty string as a delimiter it will return false, double check that there is in fact a space in between the two double-quotes.

Failing that, when things aren't doing what I expect them to do putting

var_dump

's [php.net] everywhere normally reveals the problem eventually.

Also make sure that your error reporting is printing Notices as well as Warnings, things like non-existent variables are Notices.

Andrew