Dynamic menu with contents using Codeigniter

Question

I would like to have the following json structure. I have generate the half part but don't know how to put contents into menu item which is not a top menu.

my tables structure:

and here is my controller code for generating the menu

public function index()
{
    $data['menus'] = $this->main_menu_model->get_all_menus3();
    $result=$this->build_menu($data['menus'],0);
    echo '<pre>'; print_r($result); die;
}

function build_menu($lists,$parent_id)
{
    // return an array of items with parent = $parentId
      $result = array();
      foreach ($lists as $item) 
      {
        if ($item['parent'] == $parent_id) 
        {
          $newItem = $item;
          $newItem['contents'] = $this->build_menu($lists, $newItem['id']);
          $result[] = $newItem;
        }
      }
      if (count($result) > 0) return $result;
      return null;
}

its give me this result :

[0] => Array
    (
        [id] => 1
        [title] => About Sotogrande
        [bg_image] => bg-4.jpg
        [position] => 1
        [parent] => 0
        [tbl_name] => 
        [contents] => Array
            (
                [0] => Array
                    (
                        [id] => 2
                        [title] => History
                        [bg_image] => bg-92.jpg
                        [position] => 1
                        [parent] => 1
                        [tbl_name] => history
                        [contents] => 
                    )

                [1] => Array
                    (
                        [id] => 3
                        [title] => Photos
                        [bg_image] => bg-8.jpg
                        [position] => 2
                        [parent] => 1
                        [tbl_name] => photos
                        [contents] => 
                    )

                [2] => Array
                    (
                        [id] => 4
                        [title] => Activities
                        [bg_image] => images3.jpg
                        [position] => 3
                        [parent] => 1
                        [tbl_name] => activities
                        [contents] => 
                    )

            )

I want to put the actual contents get from table into the contents= [] where its a sub menu not for top menu[parent]. I have table for every menu item. but in some sub menu i have type field and if its a type== gallery then i have a gallery table so the contents= [result of gallery table].

Answer 1

not sure if this question is related to html/css to display results or the issue is passing data from controller to a view or the problem is sql statement elaborate more