What is an Array?

All related values that are stored inside a variable is called an array.

Types of Array in PHP

Indexed Array
Associative array

Index Array:

Example for indexed array

$char = array('Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh');

1	$char = array('Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh');

To print indexed array

We can not use echo or print to print an array. We use a function <span class=”keyword”>print_r</span> to print an array

Example

$char = array('Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh');
print_r($char);

1 2	$char = array('Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh'); print_r($char);

Output :

Array ( [0] =&gt; Kritika Shrivastava [1] =&gt; Devesh Srivastava [2] =&gt; Monica Singh )

1	Array ( [0] => Kritika Shrivastava [1] => Devesh Srivastava [2] => Monica Singh )

Here each array element has a number starting from zero. This number is known as an array index. The array keyword is a traditional way to create an array in PHP. But from PHP 5.4 you can use a shorthand to create an array. A new way of creating an array from PHP 5.4

Adding values to array operator.

$char = ['Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh'];
$char[] = 'Shruti Shrivastava';
$char[] = 'Dan';
print_r($char);

$char = ['Kritika Shrivastava', 'Devesh Srivastava', 'Monica Singh'];

$char[] = 'Shruti Shrivastava';

$char[] = 'Dan';

print_r($char);

When we run this PHP will automatically assign next available number to the elements of array added.

>>To display the second element of an array we will write

echo $char[1];

1	echo $char[1];

Associative Array:

In index array, we have a numeric index but in an associative array instead of numeric index, each array element is identified by a string. Associative array stores a set of key-value pair. Let’s look at the example

$desc = [
'name' => 'Kritika',
'age'=> '27',
'Gender' => 'Female',
];
echo $desc['name'];

$desc = [

'name' => 'Kritika',

'age'=> '27',

'Gender' => 'Female',

];

echo $desc['name'];

Note: Associative array works exactly the same as an indexed array. There is a major difference between an associative array and indexed array is you can not put an associative array inside double quotes.If you try doing that:

Example

$desc = [
'name' => 'Kritika',
'age'=> '27',
'Gender' => 'Female',

];
echo "The name is $desc['name']";

$desc = [

'name' => 'Kritika',

'age'=> '27',

'Gender' => 'Female',

];

echo "The name is $desc['name']";

When you run this you will get a fatal error. To get rid of this enclose associative array inside curly braces.

$desc = [
'name' => 'Kritika',
'age'=> '27',
'Gender' => 'Female',
];
echo "The name is {$desc['name']}";

$desc = [

'name' => 'Kritika',

'age'=> '27',

'Gender' => 'Female',

];

echo "The name is {$desc['name']}";

Now this code works fine