30.07.2026 | Lothar Ferreira Neumann

Merge multidimensional arrays in Drupal

nested_array_merge_deep.php
use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;

// Parent array with default settings.
$parent_array = [
    'config' => [
        'theme' => 'dark',
        'layout' => [
            'width' => 800,
            'height' => 600,
        ],
    ],
];

// Child array adds more nested data but doesn't override existing values.
$child_array = [
    'config' => [
        'layout' => [
            'depth' => 300, // New nested key
        ],
        'features' => [
            'animations' => true, // New section
        ],
    ],
];

// Merge both arrays.
$merged_array = NestedArray::mergeDeep($parent_array, $child_array);
nested_array_result.php
[
    'config' => [
        // Unchanged (not overridden)
        'theme' => 'dark', 
        'layout' => [
            // Keeps parent value
            'width' => 800, 
            // Keeps parent value  
            'height' => 600,
            // New nested key added
            'depth' => 300,   
        ],
        'features' => [
            // New section added
            'animations' => true, 
        ],
    ],
]

Issue:

You want to merge configurations in nested associative arrays without overwriting existing values.

Solution:

The code merges two nested arrays, preserving original values and adding new nested entries where they don't exist.

See the Drupal Nested Array documentation for more on the topic.

php
array manipulation
arrays
drupal

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10.09.2026 | Lothar Ferreira Neumann

How to delete an ECA model that throws PluginNotFoundException for a missing event/action plugin

ECA.php
// web/modules/contrib/eca/src/Entity/Eca.php (simplified excerpt)

protected function isValidationDisabled(): bool {
  return $this->request()->query->get('eca_validation', '') === 'off';
}

public function getPluginCollections(): array {
  if ($this->isValidationDisabled()) {
    return [];
  }
  // Otherwise every referenced event/condition/action plugin is
  // instantiated here, throwing PluginNotFoundException if one
  // of them no longer exists.
  ...
}
hint.txt
# Delete URL — load this directly, don't click through from a listing page
/admin/config/workflow/eca/{eca_id}/delete?eca_validation=off
php
txt
eca
plugins
error handling
21.11.2025 | Peter Majmesku

PHP 8.5 New Features: Pipe Operator and URI Extension

The New URI Extension

php_8.5_examples_uri_extension.php
<?php

##### URI Extension #####

// PHP 8.4 way

$components = parse_url('https://php.net/releases/8.4/en.php');

var_dump($components['host']);
// string(7) "php.net"

// PHP 8.5 URI Extension

use Uri\Rfc3986\Uri;

$uri = new Uri('https://php.net/releases/8.5/en.php');

var_dump($uri->getHost());
// string(7) "php.net"

The New Pipe Operator

php_8.5_pipe_operator.php
<?php

##### Pipe Operator #####

// PHP 8.4 way

$title = ' PHP 8.5 Released ';

$slug = strtolower(
    str_replace('.', '',
        str_replace(' ', '-',
            trim($title)
        )
    )
);

var_dump($slug);
// string(15) "php-85-released"

// PHP 8.5 Pipe Operator 

$title = ' PHP 8.5 Released ';

$slug = $title
    |> trim(...)
    |> (fn($str) => str_replace(' ', '-', $str))
    |> (fn($str) => str_replace('.', '', $str))
    |> strtolower(...);

var_dump($slug);
// string(15) "php-85-released"
php