What are PHP Arrays?

PHP arrays are data structures used to store multiple values ​​in a single variable. PHP arrays can hold different data types together and allow various operations to be performed on this data. Arrays are often very useful when working with datasets.

There are two types of arrays in PHP: indexed array and associative array (key-value array).

PHP Array Types

Indexed Array

Indexed arrays are arrays that hold data in the form of an ordered list. Each element is associated with an index (number) and the sorting starts from 0.

$renkler = array("Kırmızı", "Mavi", "Yeşil");
echo $renkler[0]; // Kırmızı

In this example, the element with index 0 in the $renkler array is "Kırmızı".

Associative Array (Key-Value Array)

Key-value arrays are arrays where each element is associated with a key. This allows data to be accessed in a more flexible and readable way.

$personel = array("ad" => "Ahmet", "soyad" => "Alkan", "yaş" => 28);
echo $personel["ad"]; // Ahmet

In this example, the $personel array has values ​​associated with the keys "ad", "soyad", and "yaş".

Multidimensional Arrays

Multidimensional arrays can be thought of as arrays of arrays. That is, there is more than one array within an array. These types of arrays are often used for more complex data structures.

$ogrenciler = array(
    array("isim" => "Ali", "not" => 85),
    array("isim" => "Ayşe", "not" => 90)
);
echo $ogrenciler[0]["isim"]; // Ali

In this example, there are arrays within the $ogrenciler array, each of which belongs to a student.

Adding and Removing Data to PHP Arrays

Adding Elements to an Array

The array_push() function can be used to add elements to the array. This function adds one or more elements to the end of the array.

$renkler = array("Kırmızı", "Mavi");
array_push($renkler, "Yeşil");
print_r($renkler); // Kırmızı, Mavi, Yeşil

Adding Key-Value to Array

To add a new key and value to a key-value array, you can directly create a new key using the name of the array.

$personel = array("ad" => "Ahmet", "soyad" => "Yılmaz");
$personel["yaş"] = 30;
print_r($personel);

Subtracting an Array Element

You can use functions such as array_pop() or unset() to remove elements from an array. While the array_pop() function removes the last element of the array, the unset() function completely removes a particular element from the array.

$renkler = array("Kırmızı", "Mavi", "Yeşil");
array_pop($renkler);
print_r($renkler); // Kırmızı, Mavi

//Removing Specific Element
$personel = array("ad" => "Ahmet", "soyad" => "Yılmaz", "yaş" => 30);
unset($personel["yaş"]);
print_r($personel); // Age element has been removed