<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!-- $Revision$ -->

<refentry xml:id="function.print-r" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">

<refnamediv>

<refname>print_r</refname>

<refpurpose>

Prints human-readable information about a variable

</refpurpose>

</refnamediv>

<refsect1 role="description">

&reftitle.description;

<methodsynopsis>

<type class="union"><type>string</type><type>true</type></type><methodname>print_r</methodname>

<methodparam><type>mixed</type><parameter>value</parameter></methodparam>

<methodparam choice="opt"><type>bool</type><parameter>return</parameter><initializer>&false;</initializer></methodparam>

</methodsynopsis>

<para>

<function>print_r</function> displays information about a variable

in a way that's readable by humans.

</para>

<para>

<function>print_r</function>, <function>var_dump</function> and

<function>var_export</function> will

also show protected and private properties of objects.

Static class members will not be shown.

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="parameters">

&reftitle.parameters;

<para>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><parameter>value</parameter></term>

<listitem>

<para>

The expression to be printed.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><parameter>return</parameter></term>

<listitem>

<para>

If you would like to capture the output of <function>print_r</function>,

use the <parameter>return</parameter> parameter. When this parameter is set

to &true;, <function>print_r</function> will return the information rather than print it.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="returnvalues">

&reftitle.returnvalues;

<para>

If given a <type>string</type>, <type>int</type> or <type>float</type>,

the value itself will be printed. If given an <type>array</type>, values

will be presented in a format that shows keys and elements. Similar

notation is used for <type>object</type>s.

</para>

<para>

When the <parameter>return</parameter> parameter is &true;, this function

will return a <type>string</type>. Otherwise, the return value is &true;.

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="changelog">

&reftitle.changelog;

<para>

<informaltable>

<tgroup cols="2">

<thead>

<row>

<entry>&Version;</entry>

<entry>&Description;</entry>

</row>

</thead>

<tbody>

<row>

<entry>8.4.0</entry>

<entry>

Return type changed from <type class="union"><type>string</type><type>bool</type></type> to <type class="union"><type>string</type><type>true</type></type>.

</entry>

</row>

</tbody>

</tgroup>

</informaltable>

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="examples">

&reftitle.examples;

<para>

<example>

<title><function>print_r</function> example</title>

<programlisting role="php">

<![CDATA[

<pre>

<?php

$a = array ('a' => 'apple', 'b' => 'banana', 'c' => array ('x', 'y', 'z'));

print_r ($a);

?>

</pre>

]]>

</programlisting>

&example.outputs;

<screen>

<![CDATA[

<pre>

Array

(

[a] => apple

[b] => banana

[c] => Array

(

[0] => x

[1] => y

[2] => z

)

)

</pre>

]]>

</screen>

</example>

</para>

<para>

<example>

<title><parameter>return</parameter> parameter example</title>

<programlisting role="php">

<![CDATA[

<?php

$b = array ('m' => 'monkey', 'foo' => 'bar', 'x' => array ('x', 'y', 'z'));

$results = print_r($b, true); // $results now contains output from print_r

?>

]]>

</programlisting>

</example>

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="notes">

&reftitle.notes;

&note.uses-ob-php70;

</refsect1>

<refsect1 role="seealso">

&reftitle.seealso;

<para>

<simplelist>

<member><function>ob_start</function></member>

<member><function>var_dump</function></member>

<member><function>var_export</function></member>

</simplelist>

</para>

</refsect1>

</refentry>

<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file

Local variables:

mode: sgml

sgml-omittag:t

sgml-shorttag:t

sgml-minimize-attributes:nil

sgml-always-quote-attributes:t

sgml-indent-step:1

sgml-indent-data:t

indent-tabs-mode:nil

sgml-parent-document:nil

sgml-default-dtd-file:"~/.phpdoc/manual.ced"

sgml-exposed-tags:nil

sgml-local-catalogs:nil

sgml-local-ecat-files:nil

End:

vim600: syn=xml fen fdm=syntax fdl=2 si

vim: et tw=78 syn=sgml

vi: ts=1 sw=1

-->