{"id":1072,"date":"2021-04-12T16:03:07","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T16:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=1072"},"modified":"2025-04-07T13:47:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T13:47:43","slug":"php-array_shift","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-array_shift\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP array_shift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PHP array_shift()<\/code> function to remove an element from the beginning of an array.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP array_shift function #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The array_shift()<\/code> function removes the first element from an array<\/a> and returns it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following shows the syntax of the array_shift()<\/code> function:<\/p>\n\n\n

array_shift(array<\/span> &$array): mixed<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this syntax, the $array<\/code> is the input array from which you want to remove the first element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the $array<\/code> is empty or is not an array, the array_shift()<\/code> function returns null<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note that the array_shift()<\/code> function changes the input array by shortening it by one element. It also modifies numerical array keys so that the first element in the modified array has a key starting from zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHP array_shift() function example #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the array_shift()<\/code> function to remove the first element of an array:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$numbers = [1<\/span>, 2<\/span>, 3<\/span>];\n\n$first_number = array_shift($numbers);\n\nprint_r($numbers);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Array<\/span>\n(\n    [0<\/span>] => 2<\/span>\n    [1<\/span>] => 3<\/span>\n)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
How it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To remove an element from the end of an array and return it, you use the array_pop()<\/a><\/code> function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n