PHP Arrays

An array stores many values in one variable. Instead of creating ten variables for ten names, you can keep all names in one array. Each value in an array has a key (also called index) that you use to get it.

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Types of arrays

Type	Keys	Example
Indexed array	Numbers, starting from 0	[“Apple”, “Banana”]
Associative array	Names that you choose	[“name” => “Robin”, “age” => 25]
Multidimensional array	An array inside an array	[[1, 2], [3, 4]]

Indexed array

<?php
$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"];

echo $fruits[0] . "<br>";
echo $fruits[1] . "<br>";
echo count($fruits);
?>

Output:

Associative array

<?php
$user = ["name" => "Robin", "age" => 25, "city" => "Delhi"];

echo $user["name"] . " lives in " . $user["city"];
?>

Output:

Multidimensional array

<?php
$students = [
    ["Robin", 25],
    ["Jenny", 23]
];

echo $students[1][0] . " is " . $students[1][1] . " years old";
?>

Output:

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Add, change and remove values

<?php
$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana"];

$fruits[] = "Mango";        // add at the end
$fruits[0] = "Orange";      // change a value
unset($fruits[1]);          // remove a value

print_r($fruits);
?>

Output:

After unset() the keys are not renumbered. Use array_values() if you need keys 0, 1, 2 again. There are many functions to work with arrays, see PHP Array Functions.

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Loop through an array

Use foreach to read all the values. For an associative array you can get the key and the value.

<?php
$user = ["name" => "Robin", "age" => 25];

foreach ($user as $key => $value) {
    echo $key . ": " . $value . "<br>";
}
?>

Output:

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Check and print an array

• count($arr) gives the number of values.
• print_r($arr) and var_dump($arr) show the content of an array while testing.
• isset($arr["key"]) checks if a key exists. See PHP isset().
• [$a, $b] = [1, 2]; copies the values to variables (destructuring).

Next chapter: PHP Array Functions.

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Exercises & Assignments
Remove specific element by value from an array in PHP?
PHP Array to String Conversion (favourite colours chosen by user)
How to check if an array is a subset of another in PHP?

Interview Questions & Answers
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