array_splice()¶
array_splice() is a PHP native function that removes a portion of an array.
array_splice() takes the array $array, starts at the offset $offset and collects $length elements. Then it returns the extracted array, and update the incoming $array.
$offset is the position of the index in the array, not the key itself. As usual, it starts at 0. String keys, or arbitrary keys or arbitrary order of the inserted values are ignored: consider that array_splice() works on the result of array_values(). Use sorting beforehand to ensure the key order is taken into account, when needed.
array_splice() also offers a parameter $replacement, which inserts another array in the place of the cut section of the array. By default, it inserts nothing.
The complement function is array_slice(), which extracts an array from another.
<?php
// simple example
$array = [1, 2, 3, 4,];
array_splice($array, 1, 2);
print_r($array);
// [1, 4]
// with keys
$array = ['a' => 1, 3 => 2, 3, -1 => 4,];
array_splice($array, 1, 2);
print_r($array);
// [1, 4]
// with replacement
$array = [1, 2, 3, 4,];
array_splice($array, 1, 2, [6]);
print_r($array);
// [1, 6, 4]
?>
See also PHP | Difference between array_slice() and array_splice().
Related : array_slice(), array_shift()
