Split an Array into Chunks Without Using PHP Functions

Here’s how you can manually split an array into smaller chunks without using PHP’s built-in array_chunk function.

Code Example:

function splitArrayIntoChunks($array, $chunkSize) {
    $chunks = [];
    $currentChunk = [];
    $counter = 0;

    foreach ($array as $value) {
        $currentChunk[] = $value; // Add value to the current chunk
        $counter++;

        // When the chunk reaches the desired size, add it to the result
        if ($counter === $chunkSize) {
            $chunks[] = $currentChunk;
            $currentChunk = []; // Reset the current chunk
            $counter = 0;       // Reset the counter
        }
    }

    // Add any remaining elements as the last chunk
    if (!empty($currentChunk)) {
        $chunks[] = $currentChunk;
    }

    return $chunks;
}

// Example Usage
$array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8];
$chunkSize = 3;

$result = splitArrayIntoChunks($array, $chunkSize);
print_r($result);

Output:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
            [1] => 2
            [2] => 3
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => 4
            [1] => 5
            [2] => 6
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [0] => 7
            [1] => 8
        )
)

Explanation

1. Initialize Variables:
   • $chunks: The final array to hold the chunks.
   • $currentChunk: Temporary array to hold the current chunk.
   • $counter: Tracks how many elements have been added to the current chunk.
2. Iterate Through the Array:
   • Add each element to the $currentChunk.
   • Increment the $counter.
3. Check Chunk Size:
   • Once the $counter equals the desired chunk size ($chunkSize), move the $currentChunk to the $chunks array and reset $currentChunk and $counter.
4. Handle Remaining Elements:
   • If there are any elements left in $currentChunk after the loop, add them as the final chunk.

This approach gives you a manual implementation of chunking without using PHP functions.

Keep Learning 🙂