Constructing menu array

Hi everyone.

I have to make an array for a category system, first off i don't have a problem getting the parent and first child categories (That's easy ) but where i'm having trouble with is when there are sub categories in side sub categories, let me explain may setup and all the other things.

My table structure:
id,name,order,parent_id

The basic php so far:

function productCategories(){

    $link = dbconnect();
    $fullArry = array();
   

    $query = mysqli_query($link, TheQuerySting);
    $queryNumRows = mysqli_num_rows($query);

    if($queryNumRows > 0){
        while($queryResults = mysqli_fetch_assoc($query)){
            $id = $queryResults['category_id'];
            $name = $queryResults['category_name'];
            $parentId = $queryResults['parent_id'];
            $order = $queryResults['order'];

            if($parentId == '0'){
                $fullArry[$id]['name'] = $name;
                $fullArry[$id]['order'] = $order;
            }else{
                $fullArry[$parentId]['children'][$id]['name'] = $name;
                $fullArry[$parentId]['children'][$id]['order'] = $order;
            }
        }
    }

    return $fullArry;
}

PHP:

The Array structure i have in mind:

parent.id#1 =>
    name => parent.name
    order => parent.order
    children =>
        child.id =>
            name => child.name
            order => child.order
        child.id =>
            name => child.name
            order => child.order
            All the child categories will be under the children key even the sub sub categories
parent.id#2 =>
    name => parent.name
    order => parent.order
    children =>
        child.id =>
            name => child.name
            order => child.order
        child.id =>
            name => child.name
            order => child.order
...etc

Code (markup):

I am having trouble with going passed this point, if i was not using MVC i would have build the table structure inside the function but i can't or the purpose of MVC would not matter, anyway if i do the same as i would without MVC calling the function in itself and building the array that way will cause the server memory to run out.

Does anyone have an idea of how to do this?
side note as you can see in the code snippet i am not using OOP.
Thanks for reading.

 

Does the array need to have exactly that structure? If not then I would propose a different structure.

 

HI there i have found a way to build the array and that's with Nested statements in my query (mysql) but thanks for the reply.