PHP: RecursiveArrayIterator::getChildren - Manual

(PHP 5 >= 5.1.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

RecursiveArrayIterator::getChildren — Returns an iterator for the current entry if it is an array or an object

Description

Parameters

This function has no parameters.

Return Values

An iterator for the current entry, if it is an array or object; or null on failure.

Examples

<?php
$fruits = array("a" => "lemon", "b" => "orange", array("a" => "apple", "p" => "pear"));

$iterator = new RecursiveArrayIterator($fruits);

while ($iterator->valid()) {

    if ($iterator->hasChildren()) {
        // print all children
        foreach ($iterator->getChildren() as $key => $value) {
            echo $key . ' : ' . $value . "\n";
        }
    } else {
        echo "No children.\n";
    }

    $iterator->next();
}
?>

No children.
No children.
a : apple
p : pear

See Also

• RecursiveArrayIterator::hasChildren() - Returns whether current entry is an array or an object

RecursiveArrayIterator::getChildrens returns a copy of the children, not a reference:
<?php
$stack = array ("some" => "value",
                array ("subsome" => "subvalue", array ("subsubsome" => "subsubvalue")),
                "some1" => "value1");

$object = new RecursiveArrayIterator ($stack);
$object->next ();
$second_object = &$object->getChildren ();

$second_object->next ();

$third_object = &$second_object->getChildren ();

$third_object->offsetSet ("subsubsome", "subsubdiferent");

var_dump ($object);
var_dump ($second_object);
var_dump ($third_object);
?>

returns: 

object(RecursiveArrayIterator)#1 (1) {
  ["storage":"ArrayIterator":private]=>
  array(3) {
    ["some"]=>
    string(5) "value"
    [0]=>
    array(2) {
      ["subsome"]=>
      string(8) "subvalue"
      [0]=>
      array(1) {
        ["subsubsome"]=>
        string(11) "subsubvalue" <--- expected to be changed
      }
    }
    ["some1"]=>
    string(6) "value1"
  }
}
object(RecursiveArrayIterator)#2 (1) {
  ["storage":"ArrayIterator":private]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subsome"]=>
    string(8) "subvalue"
    [0]=>
    array(1) {
      ["subsubsome"]=>
      string(11) "subsubvalue" <--- expected to be changed
    }
  }
}
object(RecursiveArrayIterator)#3 (1) {
  ["storage":"ArrayIterator":private]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subsubsome"]=>
    string(14) "subsubdiferent"
  }
}