Merging combining arrays if certain key/values matches in an array

Question

Let's say I have an array that looks like this:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 44091
            [epid] => 109912002
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 2000
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1590CC 97Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 77532
            [epid] => 83253884
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 2000
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1595CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [id] => 151086
            [epid] => 109956658
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 1999
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1590CC 97Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )
)

And I would like to somehow merge/group/combine whatever you call it if specific key/value pairs are matching.

So my condition would be:

If Makes & Models & Years & Trims is the same, combine into 1 array. The other key/values such as id/epid/trims/engines/notes are not relevant and if possible can just use/inherit 1 of those matched entries.

Once that's possible I want to add another condition to also look for this:

If Makes & Models & Years & Trims & Engines is the same combine into 1 array.

Perhaps I'm confusing myself and both those can be using the same code.

Anyways in this situation I would expect the outcome to look like this afterwards:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 44091
            [epid] => 109912002
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 2000
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1590CC 97Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 151086
            [epid] => 109956658
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 1999
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1590CC 97Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )
)

Notice the array with the years of 1999 was not merged.

I tried messing with array_unique, array_flip but couldn't get it to work.

If it matters I'm using PHP 5.6.7.

Hope someone knows what I'm talking about.

Thanks.

Answer 1

This could be helpful

echo '<pre>';
foreach($name_of_your_array as $k=>$v){
    $sorted_array["$v[makes]$v[models]$v[years]$v[trims]"]=$v;
}
$sorted_array=array_values($sorted_array);
print_r($sorted_array);

Output:

   Array(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 77532
            [epid] => 83253884
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 2000
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1595CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 151086
            [epid] => 109956658
            [makes] => Honda
            [models] => Civic
            [years] => 1999
            [trims] => All
            [engines] => 1.6L 1590CC 97Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
            [notes] => 
        )

)

Answer 2

Using Being Sunny's suggestion for this link:

php filter array values and remove duplicates from multi dimensional array

I was able to modify that since that was only meant for a single key/value and it is now working using this:

// Create dummy array for checking duplicates
$taken = array();

// Loop through each item and if doesn't exist add to taken array. If exist then unset the key.
foreach($comps as $key => $item) {

    $string = $item['makes'] . $item['models'] . $item['years'] . $item['trims'] . $item['engines'];

    if(!in_array($string, $taken)) {

        $taken[] = $string;

    } else {

        unset($comps[$key]);

    }

}

// Reindex the array
$comps = array_values($comps);