{"id":2464,"date":"2021-08-29T08:19:21","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T08:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=2464"},"modified":"2025-04-07T13:14:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T13:14:03","slug":"php-list","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-list\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP list"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the PHP list syntax to assign multiple variables in one operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP list syntax #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Suppose you have an array<\/a> that contains two numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n

<?php<\/span>\n\n$prices  = [100<\/span>, 0.1<\/span>];<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$pices = [100<\/span>, 0.1<\/span>];\n$buy_price = $prices[0<\/span>];\n$tax = $price[1<\/span>];<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The code assigns the first element and second element of the array $prices<\/code> to $buy_price<\/code> and $tax<\/code> variables respectively. But you need two assignments to assign two two array elements to two variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHP provides the list()<\/code> construct that assigns the elements of an array to a list of variables in one assignment:<\/p>\n\n\n
list<\/span>(var1, var2, ...) = $array;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$prices  = [100<\/span>, 0.1<\/span>];\nlist<\/span>($buy_price, $tax) = $prices;\n\nvar_dump( $buy_price, $tax );<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
int<\/span>(100)  \nfloat<\/span>(0.1<\/span>)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, the list assigns the first element of the $prices array to the $buy_price variable and the second element of the $price<\/code> array to the $tax<\/code> variable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHP list examples #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let’s take some examples of using the list construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) Using a list to skip array elements #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the list to assign the first and the third element to variables. It skips the second element:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$prices = [100<\/span>, 0.1<\/span>, 0.05<\/span>];\n\nlist<\/span>($buy_price, , $discount) = $prices;\necho<\/span> \"The price is $buy_price with the discount of $discount\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
The price is 100<\/span> with<\/span> the discount of<\/span> 0.05<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
2) Using the nested list to assign variables #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the nested list to assign the array’s elements to the variables:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$elements = ['body'<\/span>, ['white'<\/span>,'blue'<\/span>]];\nlist<\/span>($element, list<\/span>($bgcolor, $color)) = $elements;\n\nvar_dump($element, $bgcolor, $color);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
string(4<\/span>) \"body\"<\/span> \nstring(5<\/span>) \"white\"<\/span>\nstring(4<\/span>) \"blue\"<\/span> <\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
3) Using a PHP list with an associative array #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Starting from PHP 7.1.0, you can use the list construct to assign elements of an associative array<\/a> to variables. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$person = [\n    'first_name'<\/span> => 'John'<\/span>,\n    'last_name'<\/span> => 'Doe'<\/span>,\n    'age'<\/span> => 25<\/span>\n];\n\nlist<\/span>(\n    'first_name'<\/span> => $first_name,\n    'last_name'<\/span> => $last_name,\n    'age'<\/span> => $age) = $person;\n\nvar_dump($first_name, $last_name, $age);\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
string(4<\/span>) \"John\"<\/span> \nstring(3<\/span>) \"Doe\"<\/span> \nint(25<\/span>)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Use PHP list()<\/code> construct to assign multiple variables in one operation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Did you find this tutorial useful?<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t Yes <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t No <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note that like array()<\/code>, list()<\/code> is not a function<\/a> but a language construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To assign each element of the $prices<\/code> array to variables<\/a>, you’ll do it like this:<\/p>\n\n\n