Indexed Arrays

PHP Arrays: Indexed Arrays

PHP is a powerful and popular server-side scripting language that is widely used for web development. One of its key features is the ability to work with arrays, which are data structures that can store multiple values in a single variable.

In PHP, there are two types of arrays: indexed arrays and associative arrays. In this article, we will focus on indexed arrays, which are arrays that use numerical indices.

Understanding Numerical Indices

In an indexed array, each value is stored with a numerical index, which is a positive integer that starts at 0. For example, consider the following code:

$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");

In this code, we have created an indexed array called $cars that contains three values: "Volvo", "BMW", and "Toyota". The first value, "Volvo", is stored with an index of 0, the second value, "BMW", is stored with an index of 1, and so on.

Accessing Values in an Indexed Array

To access the values in an indexed array, you can use the array index in square brackets, like this:

echo $cars[0]; // Outputs: Volvo

In this code, we have used the index 0 to access the first value in the $cars array. Similarly, you can use indices 1 and 2 to access the second and third values, respectively.

Modifying Values in an Indexed Array

You can also modify the values in an indexed array by assigning a new value to the index, like this:

$cars[0] = "Mercedes";

In this code, we have changed the value at index 0 from "Volvo" to "Mercedes".

Adding Values to an Indexed Array

To add a new value to the end of an indexed array, you can use the array_push() function, like this:

array_push($cars, "Audi");

In this code, we have added the value "Audi" to the end of the $cars array.

Conclusion

Indexed arrays are a simple and efficient way to store multiple values in a single variable in PHP. By understanding how to work with numerical indices, accessing and modifying values, and adding new values to an array, you can use indexed arrays to solve a wide range of problems in web development.