What can I do with the "3" value it returned? Certainly not use it as an offset to get a slice of the original array. The only thing that seems sensible to me here is to reject the whole thing with an error, that is, only accept 1-D arrays here. We can later extend the function by allowing higher dimensionality as long as the second argument is an array one dimension less than the first argument. But if we allow the case on its appearance, it's going to be difficult to change the behavior later.
This behave is consistent with "unnest" function, when all multidimensional arrays are reduced to 1ND arrays.
Other argument for this behave is impossibility to design other behave. array_offset function have to returns integer always. You cannot to returns a array of integers, what is necessary for MD position. And one integer can be only position in flatted 1ND array. I agree, so this is not user friendly, but there is not any other possible solution - we have not anyarray and anymdarray types. I designed this possibility (use ND arrays) mainly for info, if some value exists or not.
I am thinking, so this behave is correct (there is no other possible), but it is only corner case for this functionality - and if you are thinking, so better to disallow it, I am not against. My main focus is 1ND array.
Regards
Pavel
+1
Has a case been made for the current behavior?
Not that I remember. There was discussion about how this should properly support MD arrays.
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