php array random problem

$array = array(
    array('name' => 'civilian 1'), //Random
    array('name' => 'civilian 2'), //Random
    array('name' => 'civilian 3'), //Random
    array('name' => 'civilian 4'), //Random
    array('name' => 'civilian 5'), //Random
    array('name'=>'Rich', 'desc' => 'I am a Sponsor'), //Keep at the top
    array('name'=>'Rich 2', 'desc' => 'I am a Sponsor'), //Keep at the top
            );

if `desc has any string` will keep at the top   
else if `desc is null` will random after `desc has any string`'s array

Example 1 Output

name: Rich
name: Rich 2
name: civilian 3
name: civilian 2
name: civilian 5
name: civilian 4
name: civilian 1

Example 2 Output

name: Rich
name: Rich 2
name: civilian 4
name: civilian 5
name: civilian 2
n开发者_StackOverflowame: civilian 1
name: civilian 3

Thanks a lot.

foreach ($array as $ppl) {
    if ($ppl['desc']) $withDesc[] = $ppl;
    else $without[] = $ppl;
}

shuffle($without);

$result = array_merge($withDesc, $without);

If you don't mind modifying your original array, this will work.

(also, don't put a semicolon (;) after array members inside an array() construct).

$array = array(
    array('name' => 'civilian 1'),
    array('name' => 'civilian 2'),
    array('name' => 'civilian 3'),
    array('name' => 'civilian 4'),
    array('name' => 'civilian 5'),
    array('name'=>'Rich', 'desc' => 'I am a Sponsor'),
    array('name'=>'Rich 2', 'desc' => 'I am a Sponsor')
);

$newArray = array(); 
foreach($array as $index => $member) {
   if (isset($member['desc'])) {
       $newArray[] = $member;
       unset($array[$index]);
   }
}

shuffle($array);

$newArray = array_merge($newArray, $array);

Outputs...

array(7) {
  [0]=>
  array(2) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(4) "Rich"
    ["desc"]=>
    string(14) "I am a Sponsor"
  }
  [1]=>
  array(2) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(6) "Rich 2"
    ["desc"]=>
    string(14) "I am a Sponsor"
  }
  [2]=>
  array(1) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "civilian 5"
  }
  [3]=>
  array(1) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "civilian 1"
  }
  [4]=>
  array(1) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "civilian 4"
  }
  [5]=>
  array(1) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "civilian 3"
  }
  [6]=>
  array(1) {
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "civilian 2"
  }
}

See it!

Create your own usort delegation function.

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.usort.php

Return 1 when an element with a desc is being compared to an element without, and either 1, 0 or -1 when two elements with descs are being compared, based on the description text.

When two elements without descriptions are compared, return 1,0,-1 randomly, but make sure to store what random choice you made. It could be disastorous to return -1 when A and B are compared, but 1 next time they are compared. I'm not certain the usort algorithm employed in PHP would ever compare two elements twice, but it is definitely possible.