php - Why I can't access the array element using it's key? -

i have bellow php while , for loop.

in while loop it's storing $ch_for data in $ch_for array.

using print_r array showing these value :

array ( [ch7] => 7 [ch8] => 8 ) 

and trying access array data in for loop using line :

echo $ch_for["ch{$x}"];  

but it's showing error message : illegal string offset 'ch7' in ...

while , loop

$ch_for     = array(); $ch_name    = array();  while ( $fetchchannel =  mysqli_fetch_array($getchannel) ) {     $ch_id      = (int) $fetchchannel['ch_id'];     $ch_for[$fetchchannel['ch_name']]   = htmlspecialchars($fetchchannel['ch_for']);     $ch_name[]  = htmlspecialchars($fetchchannel['ch_name']); }   ($x=1; $x<=12; $x++) {     if(  in_array('ch'.$x, $ch_name)) {         $sel = 'checked = "checked" ';         echo $ch_for["ch{$x}"];     } else {         $sel = '';         $ch_for = '';     }     ?>      <div class="checkbox form-inline">         <label><input <?php echo $sel; ?> type="checkbox" name="ch_name[]" value="ch<?php echo $x; ?>">ch<?php echo $x; ?></label>         <input type="text" name="ch_for[]" value="<?php echo $ch_for; ?>" placeholder="channel details" class="form-control ch_for">     </div>                                         <?php } 

result of var_dump(array_keys($ch_for));

array(2) {   [0]=>   string(3) "ch7"   [1]=>   string(3) "ch8" } 

you're overwriting $ch_for in else-branch since first key ch7, hence first loop (ch1 not in $ch_name , triggers else) overwrites $ch_for.