This document provides descriptions and examples of useful functions for manipulating arrays in PHP. It lists functions for getting array size, values and keys; adding, removing, and sorting elements; merging, reversing, and randomizing arrays; searching arrays; slicing arrays; removing duplicate values; and applying functions to array elements.

1. Useful functions for arrays in PHP
Function Explanation Example
sizeof($arr) This function returns the number Code:
of elements in an array. $data = array("red", "green", "blue");
Use this function to find out how echo "Array has " . sizeof($data) . "
many elements an array contains; elements";
this information is most commonly ?>
used to initialize a loop counter
when processing the array. Output:
Array has 3 elements
array_values($arr) This function accepts a PHP array Code:
and returns a new array containing $data = array("hero" => "Holmes", "villain"
only its values (not its keys). Its => "Moriarty");
counterpart is the array_keys() print_r(array_values($data));
function. ?>
Use this function to retrieve all the Output:
values from an associative array. Array
(
[0] => Holmes
[1] => Moriarty
)
array_keys($arr) This function accepts a PHP array Code:
and returns a new array containing $data = array("hero" => "Holmes", "villain"
only its keys (not its values). Its => "Moriarty");
counterpart is the array_values() print_r(array_keys($data));
function. ?>
Use this function to retrieve all the Output:
keys from an associative array. Array
(
[0] => hero
[1] => villain
)
array_pop($arr) This function removes an element Code:
from the end of an array. $data = array("Donald", "Jim", "Tom");
array_pop($data);
print_r($data);

2. ?>
Output:
Array
(
[0] => Donald
[1] => Jim
)
array_push($arr, $val) This function adds an element to Code:
the end of an array. $data = array("Donald", "Jim", "Tom");
array_push($data, "Harry");
print_r($data);
?>
Output:
Array
(
[0] => Donald
[1] => Jim
[2] => Tom
[3] => Harry
)
array_shift($arr) This function removes an element Code:
from the beginning of an array. $data = array("Donald", "Jim", "Tom");
array_shift($data);
print_r($data);
?>
Output:
Array
(
[0] => Jim
[1] => Tom
)
array_unshift($arr, $val) This function adds an element to Code:
the beginning of an array. $data = array("Donald", "Jim", "Tom");
array_unshift($data, "Sarah");
print_r($data);
?>
Output:
Array
(

3. [0] => Sarah
[1] => Donald
[2] => Jim
[3] => Tom
)
each($arr) This function is most often used to Code:
iteratively traverse an array. Each $data = array("hero" => "Holmes", "villain"
time each() is called, it returns the => "Moriarty");
current key-value pair and moves while (list($key, $value) = each($data)) {
the array cursor forward one echo "$key: $value n";
element. This makes it most }
suitable for use in a loop. ?>
Output:
hero: Holmes
villain: Moriarty
sort($arr) This function sorts the elements of Code:
an array in ascending order. String $data = array("g", "t", "a", "s");
values will be arranged in sort($data);
ascending alphabetical order. print_r($data);
?>
Note: Other sorting functions
include asort(), arsort(), ksort(), Output:
krsort() and rsort(). Array
(
[0] => a
[1] => g
[2] => s
[3] => t
)
array_flip($arr) The function exchanges the keys Code:
and values of a PHP associative $data = array("a" => "apple", "b" =>
array. "ball");
print_r(array_flip($data));
Use this function if you have a ?>
tabular (rows and columns)
structure in an array, and you want Output:
to interchange the rows and Array
columns. (
[apple] => a
[ball] => b
)

4. array_reverse($arr) The function reverses the order of Code:
elements in an array. $data = array(10, 20, 25, 60);
print_r(array_reverse($data));
Use this function to re-order a ?>
sorted list of values in reverse for
easier processing—for example, Output:
when you're trying to begin with Array
the minimum or maximum of a set (
of ordered values. [0] => 60
[1] => 25
[2] => 20
[3] => 10
)
array_merge($arr) This function merges two or more Code:
arrays to create a single composite $data1 = array("cat", "goat");
array. Key collisions are resolved in $data2 = array("dog", "cow");
favor of the latest entry. print_r(array_merge($data1, $data2));
?>
Use this function when you need
to combine data from two or more Output:
arrays into a single structure—for Array
example, records from two (
different SQL queries. [0] => cat
[1] => goat
[2] => dog
[3] => cow
)
array_rand($arr) This function selects one or more Code:
random elements from an array. $data = array("white", "black", "red");
echo "Today's color is " .
Use this function when you need $data[array_rand($data)];
to randomly select from a ?>
collection of discrete values—for
example, picking a random color Output:
from a list. Today's color is red
array_search($search, This function searches the values Code:
$arr) in an array for a match to the $data = array("blue" => "#0000cc", "black"
search term, and returns the => "#000000", "green" => "#00ff00");
corresponding key if found. If more echo "Found " . array_search("#0000cc",
than one match exists, the key of $data);
the first matching value is ?>
returned.
Output:

5. Use this function to scan a set of Found blue
index-value pairs for matches, and
return the matching index.
array_slice($arr, This function is useful to extract a Code:
$offset, $length) subset of the elements of an array, $data = array("vanilla", "strawberry",
as another array. Extracting begins "mango", "peaches");
from array offset $offset and print_r(array_slice($data, 1, 2));
continues until the array slice is ?>
$length elements long.
Output:
Use this function to break a larger Array
array into smaller ones—for (
example, when segmenting an [0] => strawberry
array by size ("chunking") or type [1] => mango
of data. )
array_unique($data) This function strips an array of Code:
duplicate values. $data = array(1,1,4,6,7,4);
print_r(array_unique($data));
Use this function when you need ?>
to remove non-unique elements Output:
from an array—for example, when Array
creating an array to hold values for (
a table's primary key. [0] => 1
[3] => 6
[4] => 7
[5] => 4
)
array_walk($arr, $func) This function "walks" through an Code:
array, applying a user-defined function reduceBy10(&$val, $key) {
function to every element. It $val -= $val * 0.1;
returns the changed array. }
Use this function if you need to $data = array(10,20,30,40);
perform custom processing on array_walk($data, 'reduceBy10');
every element of an array—for print_r($data);
example, reducing a number series ?>
by 10%. Output:
Array
([0] => 9
[1] => 18
[2] => 27
[3] => 36
)