Online PHP editor | refs for 1hGr1

<?php $input = [ [ 'name' => 'name0', 'sub' => [ ['name' => 'name0.0'], ['name' => 'name0.1'] ] ], [ 'name' => 'name1', 'sub' => [ ['name' => 'name1.0'], ['name' => 'name1.1'], ['name' => 'name1.2'] ] ] ]; function search(array $array, $name) { foreach ($array as $key => $entry) { if ($entry['name'] === $name) { return [$key]; } if (isset($entry['sub']) && $found_keys = search($entry['sub'], $name)) { return array_merge([$key], $found_keys); } } return null; } print_r(search($input, 'name0.0')); print_r(search($input, 'name0.1')); print_r(search($input, 'name1.0')); print_r(search($input, 'name1.1')); print_r(search($input, 'name1.2'));