Online PHP editor | output for m1XLJ

<?php function pathToNestedArray($path, $separator = "/") { // use DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR for greater utility $halves = explode($separator, $path, 2); // maximum explosion is 2 elements if (!isset($halves[1])) return [$path]; // no folder to nest into, append as indexed element (Done) return [$halves[0] => pathToNestedArray($halves[1])]; // apply level's key value and recurse } $paths = [ "fileZ.php", "folder1/content/file1.php", "folder1/content/file2.php", "folder1/edit/file1.php", "folder1/edit/file2.php", "folder1/pagination/file1.php", "folder1/pagination/file2.php", "folder1/toolbar/file1.php", "folder1/toolbar/file2.php", "folder2/cms/html/file1.php", "folder2/cms/html/file2.php" ]; $result = []; foreach ($paths as $path) { $result = array_merge_recursive($result, pathToNestedArray($path)); } var_export($result);