It's not diff, it's not intersect, it's not unique, it's. ?

[httpwebwitch]

I have two arrays

[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
[2,4,6,8,10,12]

I want to remove all the elements that appear in both arrays. the result:

[1,3,5,7]
[10,12]

is there a magic potion for this? maybe something that doesn't require a lot of looping?

in PHP of course.

[httpwebwitch]

maybe it can be done with array_diff

$a = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
$b = [2,4,6,8,10,12]

$c = array_diff($a,$b);
$d = array_diff($b,$a);

Sounds right to me. haven't tried it yet.

[eelixduppy]

Do they need to stay separate? Or can they be merged as one array?

And array_diff should work, too.

[httpwebwitch]

yup, tried it, and it works. it does mean creating two new arrays and returning those instead of altering the original arrays.

there may be a better way, mathematically speaking. but this is... good enough.

[eelixduppy]

>> instead of altering the original arrays.

You can also change the original arrays....

$a = array_diff($a,$b);
$b = array_diff($b,$a);

[httpwebwitch]

but if you do that, then $a is changed in line 1, then $b will find no diffs when it looks in $a in line 2

// input
$a = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
$b = [2,4,6,8,10,12]

// execute line 1
$a = array_diff($a,$b);

// temp values
$a = [1,3,5,7]
$b = [2,4,6,8,10,12]

// execute line 2
$b = array_diff($b,$a);

// output
$a = [1,3,5,7]
$b = [2,4,6,8,10,12]

so, at the end $b contains values that were originally present in $a, which ought to have been removed

[httpwebwitch]

I suppose it could be done using one temp array, so we have a copy of $a when it's time to diff it against $b

[eelixduppy]

Ahh good point I wasn't thinking

[mooger35]

I would actually use array_count_values [us2.php.net]

$array1 = array(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8);
$array2 = array(2,4,6,8,10,12);

$new_array = array();
$temp = array_merge((array)$array1, (array)$array2);
$temp = array_count_values($temp);
foreach($temp as $key => $val){
if($val == 1) $new_array[] = $key;
}

[httpwebwitch]

yes mooger35, your code would remove elements that are in both arrays.
but the problem states the output must be two arrays, not one merged array.

This function is essential for solving this problem [webmasterworld.com], involving summation of inherited properties in a hierarchy

[pinterface]

You can also change the original arrays...

$a = array_diff($a,$b);
$b = array_diff($b,$a);

I think you meant:

list($a, $b) = array(array_diff($a,$b), array_diff($b,$a));

;)

[httpwebwitch]

good one pinterface!
Does it work?

[pinterface]

Does it work?

... You realize, of course, it would have been faster to test it yourself than asking me if it worked. :P

But yes, that does work.