Uploading Data to Mysql DB from an API with PHP

Question

I have an some data I'm working with that has lots of fields and subfields and subsubfields like:

{field: value;
field: value;
field: [
   {field:value;
    field:value;
    field: [
       {field:value;}
    ]}
]}

We went with a Mysql db (maybe that was a mistake). I'm writing a PHP script right now to get data from the API and insert it into the db. And I'm getting held up on the design pattern to use. I would think something like:

function() insertArrayIntoTable($tableName, $array){}

Would work... but I got held up on having to keep track of ID fields within the parent array and how to pass that to MULTIPLE offspring, who in turn have multiple offspring. So I didn't even bother trying to write something like:

function() insertArrayIntoTable($tableNames, $array, $parentNames){
   for($i=0;$i<count($array);$i++){
      if(is_array($array[$i])){insertArrayIntoTable($tableNames[$i],$array[$i],$parentNames[]);}
   }
}

Because I was afraid to write a function that calls ITSELF in some sort of nested loop.... it just seems wrong. Any advice?

Answer 1

In this case, you can use recursion. A default value is required for the parent.

Answer 2

MySQL isn't that bad, so it's fine to use it.

Writing a function that calls itself is also not wrong, as you are traversing through a tree with a variable amount of children / children's children, etc. It will probably be necessary to do recursion.

If you are just trying to store an array as a field, make sure you store it as json format and convert it to a string, and that the field for the array is VARCHAR type