Easy way to create an array in PHP

In this tutorial, you will learn what is an array and how to create an array in PHP.

• What is an array in PHP?
• Create an array in PHP.
• Access PHP array values.
• Add custom keys to PHP array values.
• Types of PHP array
  1. Indexed array
  2. Associative array
  3. Multidimensional array

<?php
$names = array('John', 'Smith', 'Mark', 'Ken', 'Barry');

<?php
$names = ['John', 'Smith', 'Mark', 'Ken', 'Barry'];

• You can store values ​​of any data type in an array, such as string, number, boolean, etc.
• It is not mandatory that all values ​​of an array be of the same data type.

<?php
$data = array('John', 21, true, 54.23);

print_r($data);

Array
(
    [0] => John 
    [1] => 21   
    [2] => 1    
    [3] => 54.23
)

---

How to access PHP array values?

You can access the values of a PHP array ​​by their keys. By default, each array has keys in a number format starting at 0. See the following image –

<?php
$names = array('John', 'Smith', 'Mark', 'Ken', 'Barry');

echo $names[0] . "\n"; // John
echo $names[3] . "\n"; // Ken
echo $names[4] . "\n"; // Barry
echo $names[2] . "\n"; // Mark
echo $names[1]; // Smith

John 
Ken  
Barry
Mark 
Smith

---

How to add custom keys to PHP array values?

With the help of the array operator =>, you can add custom keys to the values of a PHP array.

<?php
$user = array('name' => 'John', 'age' => 21, 'email' => '[email protected]');

echo $user['name'] . "\n";
echo $user['age'] . "\n";
echo $user['email'];

John
21
[email protected]

---

How many types of PHP arrays are there?

1. Indexed arrays (Numeric arrays)

Arrays with numeric keys are called Indexed or Numeric arrays.

<?php
$names = array('John', 'Smith', 'Mark', 'Ken', 'Barry');

2. Associative arrays

Arrays with custom keys are called Associative arrays.

<?php
$data = array('name' => 'John', 'age' => 21, 'email' => '[email protected]');

3. Multidimensional Arrays

When you create an array or arrays inside an array, it is called a multidimensional array, and these arrays can be Indexed or Associative.

<?php
$school = array(
    'teachers' => array('John', 'Mark', 'Smith'),
    'subject' => array('English', 'Science', 'Mathematics')
);

Example of Multidimensional array

<?php
$school = array(
    'teachers' => array(
        'english' => array('John', 'Mark', 'Smith'),
        'science' => array(
            'physics' => array('Hank', 'Joe'),
            'chemistry' => array('Akash', 'Niels'),
            'biology' => array('James', 'Theressa')
        ),
        'Mathematics' => array('Barry', 'Nick')
    )
);

$physicsTeacher = $school['teachers']['science']['physics'][0];

echo $physicsTeacher;

Hank