PHP Arrays
An array stores multiple values in a single variable.
Syntax
$fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];An array holds many values under one name. The simplest kind is the indexed array, where each item has a numeric index starting at 0.
Create an array with square brackets [] or the array() function.
Example
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When to use it
- Store a list of product IDs returned from a database query in a PHP array for further processing.
- Collect all validation error messages in an array and pass them to a view for display.
- Use an array to accumulate totals from multiple line items before computing a cart grand total.
More examples
Creating and accessing arrays
Square-bracket syntax creates indexed arrays; $arr[] appends a new element at the next numeric index.
<?php
$colors = ['red', 'green', 'blue'];
echo $colors[0]; // red
echo count($colors); // 3
$colors[] = 'yellow'; // append
echo $colors[3]; // yellowArray manipulation with push and pop
array_push() adds to the end; array_pop() removes from the end — together they implement a simple stack.
<?php
$queue = ['task1', 'task2'];
array_push($queue, 'task3', 'task4');
$done = array_pop($queue); // removes 'task4'
echo $done; // task4
echo count($queue); // 3Checking for values and keys
in_array() tests membership; array_search() returns the key of the found element.
<?php
$roles = ['editor', 'contributor', 'admin'];
if (in_array('admin', $roles)) {
echo 'Admin role found';
}
$index = array_search('editor', $roles);
echo $index; // 0
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