PHP uasort() Function

The uasort() function is a builtin function in PHP and is used to sort an array such that array indices maintain their correlation with the array elements they are associated with, using a user-defined comparison function. Syntax:

boolean uasort(array_name, user_defined_function);

Parameter: This function accepts two parameters and are described below:

array_name: This parameter represents the array which we need to sort.
user_defined_function: This is a comparator function and is used to compare values and sort the array. This function returns three types of values described below:
- It return 0 when a=b
- It return 1 when a>b and we want to sort input array in ascending order otherwise it will return -1 if we want to sort input array in descending order.
- It return -1 when a<b and we want to sort input array in ascending order otherwise it will return 1 if we want to sort input array in descending order.

Return Value: It returns a boolean value, i.e. either TRUE on success and FALSE on failure. Examples:

Input: array
       (
            "a" => 4,
            "b" => 2,
            "g" => 8,
            "d" => 6,
            "e" => 1,
            "f" => 9
       )
Output: Array 
        ( 
            [e] => 1 
            [b] => 2 
            [a] => 4 
            [d] => 6 
            [g] => 8 
            [f] => 9 
        )

Below programs illustrates the uasort() function in PHP:

Sorting in ascending order: To sort the input array in ascending order, in the comparator function we will return 1 when a>b or -1 when a<b. Below program illustrates this:

PHP

<?php
// PHP program to sort in ascending
// order using uasort() function

// user_defined comparator function
function sorting($a,$b)
{
    if ($a==$b) return 0;
        return ($a<$b)?-1:1;
}

// input array  
$arr=array("a"=>4,"b"=>2,"g"=>8,"d"=>6,"e"=>1,"f"=>9);

uasort($arr,"sorting");

// printing sorted array.
print_r($arr);

?>

Output:

Array
(
    [e] => 1
    [b] => 2
    [a] => 4
    [d] => 6
    [g] => 8
    [f] => 9
)

Sorting in descending order: To sort the input array in descending order, in the comparator function we will return -1 when a>b or 1 when a<b. Below program illustrates this:

PHP

<?php
// PHP program to sort in descending
// order using uasort() function

// user_defined comparator function
function sorting($a, $b) 
{
    if ($a == $b) return 0;
        return ($a > $b) ? -1 : 1;
}

// input array
$input = array("d"=>"R", "a"=>"G", "b"=>"X", "f"=>"Z" );

uasort($input, "sorting");

// printing sorted array.
print_r($input);

?>

Output:

Array
(
    [f] => Z
    [b] => X
    [d] => R
    [a] => G
)

Reference: https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.uasort.php

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