Split an Array into N Arrays - PHP

You can use array_chunk and array_merge for this problem:

<?php 

$array = array('a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r');
$chunked_arr = array_chunk($array,12);
$j = 0;
for($i = 0; $i < count($chunked_arr[0]); $i++){
    if(!($i % 2 == 0)){
        $first_combined[$j][$i % 2] = $chunked_arr[0][$i];
        $j++;
    } else {
    $first_combined[$j][$i % 2] = $chunked_arr[0][$i];
    }
}

$merged_array = array_merge($first_combined, $chunked_arr[1]); 

echo '<pre>';
print_r($merged_array);
 ?>

And You will get the result like this:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => a
            [1] => b
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => c
            [1] => d
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [0] => e
            [1] => f
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [0] => g
            [1] => h
        )

    [4] => Array
        (
            [0] => i
            [1] => j
        )

    [5] => Array
        (
            [0] => k
            [1] => l
        )

    [6] => m
    [7] => n
    [8] => o
    [9] => p
    [10] => q
    [11] => r
)

This is what exactly you want.

Live Demo Here>>


Allow me to be the first to offer a math-based, loopless solution.

The magic in the math is determining which portion of elements belongs in the first set of chunks where all columns are filled in each row versus which elements belong in the second set (if the set should even exist) where all columns except the right-most column are filled.

Let me draw what I'm talking about. The > marks the division between the two chunked arrays.

$size = 9;        -------------    $size = 9;        -------------
$maxRows = 4;   1 | A , B , C |    $maxRows = 3;     | A , B , C |
$columns = 3;   > |-----------|    $columns = 3;   1 | D , E , F |
$fullRows = 1;    | D , E |        $fullRows = 3;    | G , H , I |
                2 | F , G |                        > -------------
                  | H , I |                        2      n/a
                  ---------


$size = 18;        ---------    $size = 17;       -------------------------------------
$maxRows = 12;     | A , B |    $maxRows = 2;   1 | A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H , I |
$columns = 2;      | C , D |    $columns = 9;   > -------------------------------------
$fullRows = 6;     | E , F |    $fullRows = 1;  2 | J , K , L , M , N , O , P , Q |
                 1 | G , H |                      ---------------------------------
                   | I , J |
                   | K , L |
                 > ---------
                   | M |
                   | N |
                   | O |
                 2 | P |
                   | Q |
                   | R |
                   -----

Code: (Demo)

function double_chunk($array, $maxRows) {
    $size = count($array);
    $columns = ceil($size / $maxRows);
    $lessOne = $columns - 1;
    $fullRows = $size - $lessOne * $maxRows;
    
    if ($fullRows == $maxRows) {
        return array_chunk($array, $fullRows);  // all columns have full rows, don't splice
    }
    return array_merge(
               array_chunk(
                   array_splice($array, 0, $columns * $fullRows),  // extract first set to chunk
                   $columns
               ),
               array_chunk($array, $lessOne)   // chunk the leftovers
           );
}
var_export(double_chunk(range('a', 'i'), 3));

If you don't mind the iterated array_splice() calls, this is more brief and perhaps easier to follow (...perhaps not):

Code: (Demo)

function custom_chunk($array, $maxRows) {
    $size = count($array);
    $columns = ceil($size / $maxRows);
    $lessOne = $columns - 1;
    $fullRows = $size - $lessOne * $maxRows;
    
    for ($i = 0; $i < $maxRows; ++$i) {
        $result[] = array_splice($array, 0, ($i < $fullRows ? $columns : $lessOne));
    }
    return $result;
}
var_export(custom_chunk(range('a', 'r'), 12));

This simple function would work for you:

Usage

$array = range("a", "r"); // same as your array
print_r(alternate_chunck($array,12));

Output

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => a
            [1] => b
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => c
            [1] => d
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [0] => e
            [1] => f
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [0] => g
            [1] => h
        )

    [4] => Array
        (
            [0] => i
            [1] => j
        )

    [5] => Array
        (
            [0] => k
            [1] => l
        )

    [6] => Array
        (
            [0] => m
        )

    [7] => Array
        (
            [0] => n
        )

    [8] => Array
        (
            [0] => o
        )

    [9] => Array
        (
            [0] => p
        )

    [10] => Array
        (
            [0] => q
        )

    [11] => Array
        (
            [0] => r
        )

)

Update The above might not be useful for most cases ... here is another type of chunk

$array = range("a", "r"); // same as your array
print_r(fill_chunck($array, 5));

Output

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => a
            [1] => b
            [2] => c
            [3] => d
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => e
            [1] => f
            [2] => g
            [3] => h
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [0] => i
            [1] => j
            [2] => k
            [3] => l
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [0] => m
            [1] => n
            [2] => o
            [3] => p
        )

    [4] => Array
        (
            [0] => q
            [1] => r
        )

)

This would make sure the group at no time is more that 5 elements where the other one has no limitation

Function Used

function alternate_chunck($array, $parts) {
    $t = 0;
    $result = array();
    $max = ceil(count($array) / $parts);
    foreach(array_chunk($array, $max) as $v) {
        if ($t < $parts) {
            $result[] = $v;
        } else {
            foreach($v as $d) {
                $result[] = array($d);
            }
        }
        $t += count($v);
    }
    return $result;
}


function fill_chunck($array, $parts) {
    $t = 0;
    $result = array_fill(0, $parts - 1, array());
    $max = ceil(count($array) / $parts);
    foreach($array as $v) {
        count($result[$t]) >= $max and $t ++;
        $result[$t][] = $v;
    }
    return $result;
}