What are the advantages of using multidimensional arrays over separate arrays when sorting and grouping data in PHP?

When sorting and grouping data in PHP, using multidimensional arrays can be advantageous over separate arrays because it allows you to maintain the relationship between related data elements. This makes it easier to sort and manipulate the data as a whole without losing track of the connections between different pieces of information. Additionally, multidimensional arrays can improve code readability and organization by keeping related data together in a structured format. 

// Example of using a multidimensional array to store and sort data
$data = array(
    array('name' => 'Alice', 'age' => 25),
    array('name' => 'Bob', 'age' => 30),
    array('name' => 'Charlie', 'age' => 20)
);

// Sort the data by age
usort($data, function($a, $b) {
    return $a['age'] - $b['age'];
});

// Display the sorted data
foreach ($data as $person) {
    echo $person['name'] . ' - ' . $person['age'] . PHP_EOL;
}

Keywords

multidimensional arrays sorting grouping data PHP

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