How to Sort a Multi-dimensional Array by Value

Solution:1

Try a usort. If you are still on PHP 5.2 or earlier, you’ll have to define a sorting function first:

function sortByOrder($a, $b) {
    return $a['order'] - $b['order'];
}

usort($myArray, 'sortByOrder');

Starting in PHP 5.3, you can use an anonymous function:

usort($myArray, function($a, $b) {
    return $a['order'] - $b['order'];
});

And finally with PHP 7 you can use the spaceship operator:

usort($myArray, function($a, $b) {
    return $a['order'] <=> $b['order'];
});

To extend this to multi-dimensional sorting, reference the second/third sorting elements if the first is zero – best explained below. You can also use this for sorting on sub-elements.

usort($myArray, function($a, $b) {
    $retval = $a['order'] <=> $b['order'];
    if ($retval == 0) {
        $retval = $a['suborder'] <=> $b['suborder'];
        if ($retval == 0) {
            $retval = $a['details']['subsuborder'] <=> $b['details']['subsuborder'];
        }
    }
    return $retval;
});

If you need to retain key associations, use uasort() – see comparison of array sorting functions in the manual.

Solution:2

To achieve this we can use “array_multisort” method which ‘Sorts multiple or multi-dimensional arrays’. It’s method parameters are

• $keys – an array being sorted
• SORT_ASC – sort order (ascending)
• sort flags (compare items normally(don’t change types) or numerically or as strings)
• $new – then rest of the arrays. Only elements corresponding to equivalent elements in previous
  arrays are compared.

‘sort flags’ is SORT_REGULAR by default and it is omitted.

$new = [
    [
        'hashtag' => 'a7e87329b5eab8578f4f1098a152d6f4',
        'title' => 'Flower',
        'order' => 3,
    ],
    [
        'hashtag' => 'b24ce0cd392a5b0b8dedc66c25213594',
        'title' => 'Free',
        'order' => 2,
    ],
    [
        'hashtag' => 'e7d31fc0602fb2ede144d18cdffd816b',
        'title' => 'Ready',
        'order' => 1,
    ],
];
$keys = array_column($new, 'order');
array_multisort($keys, SORT_ASC, $new);
var_dump($new);

Result:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [hashtag] => e7d31fc0602fb2ede144d18cdffd816b
            [title] => Ready
            [order] => 1
        )
    [1] => Array
        (
            [hashtag] => b24ce0cd392a5b0b8dedc66c25213594
            [title] => Free
            [order] => 2
        )
    [2] => Array
        (
            [hashtag] => a7e87329b5eab8578f4f1098a152d6f4
            [title] => Flower
            [order] => 3
        )
)