Sorting a php array of arrays by custom order

You can use usort() to dictate precisely how the array is to be sorted. In this case, the $order array can be used within the comparison function.

The example below uses a closure to make life easier.

$order = array(3452342, 5867867, 7867867, 1231233);
$array = array(
    array('id' => 7867867, 'title' => 'Some Title'),
    array('id' => 3452342, 'title' => 'Some Title'),
    array('id' => 1231233, 'title' => 'Some Title'),
    array('id' => 5867867, 'title' => 'Some Title'),
);

usort($array, function ($a, $b) use ($order) {
    $pos_a = array_search($a['id'], $order);
    $pos_b = array_search($b['id'], $order);
    return $pos_a - $pos_b;
});

var_dump($array);

The key to this working is having the values that are being compared, be the positions of the ids within the $order array.

The comparison function works by finding the positions of the ids of two items to be compared within the $order array. If $a['id'] comes before $b['id'] in the $order array, then the return value of the function will be negative ($a is less so "floats" to the top). If $a['id'] comes after $b['id'] then the function returns a positive number ($a is greater so "sinks" down).

Finally, there is no special reason for using a closure; it's just my go-to way of writing these sorts of throwaway functions quickly. It could equally use a normal, named function.

Extending salathe's answer for this additional requirement:

Now what happens when I add items to the array and not to the sort? I don't care what order they appear, as long as it comes after the ones that I did specify.

You need to add two additional conditions in the sorting function:

1. A "dont care" item must be considered greater than whitelisted items
2. Two "dont care" items must be considered equal

So the revised code would be:

$order = array(
    3452342,
    5867867,
    7867867,
    1231233
);
$array = array(
    array("id" => 7867867, "title" => "Must Be #3"),
    array("id" => 3452342, "title" => "Must Be #1"),
    array("id" => 1231233, "title" => "Must Be #4"),
    array("id" => 5867867, "title" => "Must Be #2"),
    array("id" => 1111111, "title" => "Dont Care #1"),
    array("id" => 2222222, "title" => "Dont Care #2"),
    array("id" => 3333333, "title" => "Dont Care #3"),
    array("id" => 4444444, "title" => "Dont Care #4")
);

shuffle($array);  // for testing
var_dump($array); // before

usort($array, function ($a, $b) use ($order) {
    $a = array_search($a["id"], $order);
    $b = array_search($b["id"], $order);
    if ($a === false && $b === false) { // both items are dont cares
        return 0;                       // a == b
    } else if ($a === false) {          // $a is a dont care
        return 1;                       // $a > $b
    } else if ($b === false) {          // $b is a dont care
        return -1;                      // $a < $b
    } else {
        return $a - $b;                 // sort $a and $b ascending
    }
});
var_dump($array); // after

Output:

Before                         |  After
-------------------------------+-------------------------------
array(8) {                     |  array(8) {
  [0]=>                        |    [0]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(4444444)               |      int(3452342)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(12) "Dont Care #4"  |      string(10) "Must Be #1"
  }                            |    }
  [1]=>                        |    [1]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(3333333)               |      int(5867867)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(12) "Dont Care #3"  |      string(10) "Must Be #2"
  }                            |    }
  [2]=>                        |    [2]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(1231233)               |      int(7867867)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(10) "Must Be #4"    |      string(10) "Must Be #3"
  }                            |    }
  [3]=>                        |    [3]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(1111111)               |      int(1231233)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(12) "Dont Care #1"  |      string(10) "Must Be #4"
  }                            |    }
  [4]=>                        |    [4]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(5867867)               |      int(2222222)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(10) "Must Be #2"    |      string(12) "Dont Care #2"
  }                            |    }
  [5]=>                        |    [5]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(2222222)               |      int(1111111)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(12) "Dont Care #2"  |      string(12) "Dont Care #1"
  }                            |    }
  [6]=>                        |    [6]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(3452342)               |      int(3333333)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(10) "Must Be #1"    |      string(12) "Dont Care #3"
  }                            |    }
  [7]=>                        |    [7]=>
  array(2) {                   |    array(2) {
    ["id"]=>                   |      ["id"]=>
    int(7867867)               |      int(4444444)
    ["title"]=>                |      ["title"]=>
    string(10) "Must Be #3"    |      string(12) "Dont Care #4"
  }                            |    }
}                              |  }