Problem getting unique values from an XML file

[steviecee]

Hi,
I'm using an XML file to populate a form select box. the XML file has numerous values that I'm populating the form with, some of which are repeating themselves. I want to have unique values in the form so no values are repeated.
for example
In XML doc

<parent>
 <child>1</child>
 <child>1</child>
 <child>2</child>
 <child>1</child>
</parent>

XHTML

...
echo "<option value = ''>Please pick a number</option> ";
	foreach ($entries as $entry) 
	{
	   echo "<option value = '{$entry->nodeValue}'>{$entry->nodeValue}</option>";
         }
...

this will bring back the sequence 1 1 2 1 in the select box, is is possible for it to read 1 2, by removing / stopping duplication?


thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give!
Steve

[david_kw]

This is more of a PHP question than XML, IMO. But even knowing close to nothing about PHP I'll take a shot. :)

$i = 0;
foreach ($entries as $entry) {
  $arr[$i++] = $entry->nodeValue;
}
sort($arr);
$last_value = -1;
for ($j = 0; $j < $i; $j++) {
  if ($arr[$j] != $last_value) {
    echo "<option value = '{$arr[$j]}'>{$arr[$j]}</option>";
    $last_value = $arr[$j];
  }
}

No doubt there are all sorts of errors in there since it is about my first php code ever but this is one idea for how to strip out duplicates.

david_kw

[steviecee]

David,
Thanks for that, its very close now, just a bit of playing around should get it right

cheers
Steve