Use the first variable that isset()

Question

I would like to set a position in an array to equal the first $_GET parameter that exists.

Here is the code I currently have which doesn't function exactly how I'd like as it uses arrays:

'searchOptions'=>array_merge(
                isset($_GET['Search1']['searchoption']) ? $_GET['Search1']['searchoption'] : array(),
                isset($_GET['Search2']['searchoption']) ? $_GET['Search2']['searchoption'] : array(),
                isset($_GET['Search3']['searchoption']) ? $_GET['Search3']['searchoption'] : array(),
                isset($_GET['Search4']['searchoption']) ? $_GET['Search4']['searchoption'] : array(),
                isset($_GET['searchBar']['searchoption']) ? $_GET['searchBar']['searchoption'] : array(),
                isset($_GET['searchOptions']) ? $_GET['searchOptions'] : array()
            ),

Is there a better way this can be done that avoids array_merge and works properly? Currently right now it does not work if a string is passed in the $_GET parameter as it needs to be an array.

The way this works is that only one of the $_GET variables being checked will ever exist at one time, as such once there is one that isset the rest of them are irrelevant.

Is there a way to just do something similar to what I have but without treating it like I am merging arrays?

This could be broken up into many if statements that check and then set if it exists but it seems quite clunky.

Answer 1

In PHP >= 7.0 you can use the Null coalescing operator and chain them:

$options =  $_GET['Search1']['searchoption']   ??
            $_GET['Search2']['searchoption']   ??
            $_GET['Search3']['searchoption']   ??
            $_GET['Search4']['searchoption']   ??
            $_GET['searchBar']['searchoption'] ??
            $_GET['searchOptions']             ?? [];

If none are set then $options is an empty array [], if that's not what you want just replace it.