{"id":441,"date":"2021-03-15T15:38:37","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T15:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=441"},"modified":"2025-04-09T08:53:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T08:53:31","slug":"php-assignment-operators","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-assignment-operators\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP Assignment Operators"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you will learn about the most commonly used PHP assignment operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP assignment operator #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PHP uses the =<\/code> to represent the assignment operator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following shows how to assign a value to a variable using the assignment operator:<\/p>\n\n\n

$variable_name = expression;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
When evaluating the assignment operator (=<\/code>), PHP evaluates the expression on the right side first and assigns the result to the variable on the left side. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$x = 10<\/span>;\n$y = 20<\/span>;\n$total = $x + $y;\n\necho<\/span> $total;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, we assign 10 to $x<\/code>, 20 to $y<\/code>, and the sum of $x<\/code> and $y<\/code> to $total<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The assignment expression returns a value assigned, which is the result of the expression:<\/p>\n\n\n
$variable_name = expression;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
This allows you to chain assignments in a single statement:<\/p>\n\n\n
$x = $y = 20<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this case, PHP evaluates the right-most expression first:<\/p>\n\n\n
$y = 20<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The whole expression evaluates to 20<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\necho<\/span> $y = 20<\/span> . '<br>'<\/span>;\necho<\/span> $y . '<br>'<\/span>;<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
20\n20\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
The assignment expression $y = 20<\/code> returns 20<\/code> so PHP assigns 20<\/code> to $x<\/code>. After the assignments, both $x<\/code> and $y<\/code> equal 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arithmetic assignment operators #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, you want to increase a variable by a specific value. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$counter = 1<\/span>;\n$counter = $counter + 1<\/span>;\n\necho<\/span>  $counter;<\/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
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the left side of the assignment operator (=<\/code>) is a variable<\/a> to which you want to assign a value. And on the right side of the assignment operator (=<\/code>) is a value or an expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n