A non-recursive version of PHP's array_replace_recursive()

gistfile1.aw

<?php

/**
 * Many examples of pre 5.3 versions of this function use recursion
 * this one avoids it for people who, like me, are only going to rely
 * on this logic in a single place.  In short, you can fully remove the
 * function definition and implications and the actual code will still
 * work.  That is, the function does not need to call itself.
 */
function array_replace_recursive($base, $replacements)
{
	foreach (array_slice(func_get_args(), 1) as $replacements) {
		$bref_stack = array(&$base);
		$head_stack = array($replacements);

		do {
			end($bref_stack);

			$bref = &$bref_stack[key($bref_stack)];
			$head = array_pop($head_stack);

			unset($bref_stack[key($bref_stack)]);

			foreach (array_keys($head) as $key) {
				if (isset($bref[$key]) && is_array($bref[$key]) && is_array($head[$key])) {
					$bref_stack[] = &$bref[$key];
					$head_stack[] = $head[$key];
				} else {
					$bref[$key] = $head[$key];
				}
			}
		} while(count($head_stack));
	}

	return $base;
}