sub-categories and sub-subcategories on a associative array with CI

[eluser]MEM[/eluser]
The fighting days are not over, I'm killing myself on this.

With the help of great gurus (credits to oddz on sitepoint forums), I was able to create a model that returns an array like this:

Code:

Array (
    [0] => Array (
        [id_cat] => 6
        [nome_cat] => Fitofármacos
        [parent_id_cat] => 1
        [children] => Array (

                [0] => Array (
                    [id_cat] => 9
                    [nome_cat] => Herbicidas
                    [parent_id_cat] => 6
                    [children] => Array ( )
                 )
    
                [1] => Array (
                    [id_cat] => 10
                    [nome_cat] => Insecticidas
                    [parent_id_cat] => 6
                    [children] => Array ( )
                )    
        
                [2] => Array (
                    [id_cat] => 11
                    [nome_cat] => Fungicidas
                    [parent_id_cat] => 6
                    [children] => Array ( )
                )
            )
    
    
     )

     [1] => Array (
        [id_cat] => 7
        [nome_cat] => Adubos
        [parent_id_cat] => 1
        [children] => Array ( )
               )

    [2] => Array (
         [id_cat] => 8
        [nome_cat] => Sementes
        [parent_id_cat] => 1
        [children] => Array ( )
    )

)

This exact structure I have passed to my view file. So, the "only" think I have to do is to play with this hierarchy and with the URI segment values.

This array is called $menucategorias

I'm having this:

Code:

foreach ($menucategorias as $mainitem)
{
  //hoping to get parent...      
  echo $mainitem['nome_cat'];
        
  if($CI->uri->segment(3)==$mainitem['parent_id_cat'])
  {
        //hopping to get parent and...  
        echo $mainitem['nome_cat'];
    
        //hoping to get childs...    
    foreach ($mainitem['children'] as $subitem)
    {
        echo $subitem['nome_cat'];
    }
  }
}

But I can only hope. Since I'm always getting the childrens only, and never the parents.

~~~~~