php - All possible combinations in array - recursion?

Question

I have a question that goes over my head, hope someone can help. I think it may have to be solved by recursion and/or permutations, but I am not good enough of a (PHP) programmer for that.

$map[] = array("0", "1", "2", "3");
$map[] = array("4", "5", "6", "7");
$map[] = array("8", "9", "10", "11");
$map[] = array("12", "13", "14", "15");
$map[] = array("16", "17", "18", "19");
$map[] = array("20", "21", "22", "23");

The $map array is limited to a max length of "6".

I am looking for a way to make all possible combinations. Here are a few VALID combinations:

Example 1:

$map[] = array("0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7");
$map[] = array("8", "9", "10", "11");
$map[] = array("12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21", "22", );
$map[] = array("23");

Example 2:

$map[] = array("0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21", "22", "23");

Example 3:

$map[] = array("0", "1");
$map[] = array("2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8");
$map[] = array("9", "10", "11");
$map[] = array("12");
$map[] = array("13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20");
$map[] = array("21", "22", "23");

The values in each of the map arrays have to be in ascending order, e.g. this example is INVALID:

$map[] = array("0", "1", "4");
$map[] = array("3", "5");
etc...

Hope this can be done.

Answer 1

A recursive solution.

<?php
function combination($remaining, $current, $combinations) {
    $e = array_shift($remaining);
    $combinations[$current][] = $e;

    if(empty($remaining)) {
        print_r($combinations);
        return;
    }

    combination($remaining, $current, $combinations);
    // 6 Limit remove for all solutions
    if ($current < 6) {
        combination($remaining, $current + 1, $combinations);
    }
}


$remaining = range(0, 23);

combination($remaining, 0, array());

If you want to store all solutions for [0,23] you're gonna have a bad time.