PHP array_push

Summary: in this tutorial, you will learn how to add an element to the end of an array by using the PHP array_push() function.

Introduction to the PHP array_push() function

The array_push() function adds one or more elements to the end of an array. The syntax of the array_push() function is as follows:

array_push ( array &$array , mixed ...$values ) : intCode language: PHP (php)

In this syntax:

• $array is the input array.
• $values is one or more elements to push onto the end of the input array.

The array_push() function returns the new number of elements in the array.

Note that the array_push() function modifies the input array.

The array_push() has the same effect as the following statement repeated for each new value:

$array[] = $value;Code language: PHP (php)

If you just add one value to an array, you should use the statement $array[] = $value; to avoid the overhead of calling the array_push() function.

PHP array_push() function examples

The following example shows how to use the array_push() function to add multiple elements to the end of an array:

<?php

$numbers = [1, 2, 3];

array_push($numbers, 4, 5);


print_r($numbers);
Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

Output:

Array
(
    [0] => 1
    [1] => 2
    [2] => 3
    [3] => 4
    [4] => 5
)Code language: PHP (php)

In this example, we push the number 4 and 5 to the end of the $numbers array.

Push an element to the end of an associative array

To add an element to an associative array, you use the following syntax:

$array[$key] = $value;Code language: PHP (php)

In this case, you can’t use the array_push() function. For example:

<?php

$roles = [
	'admin' => 1,
	'editor' => 2
];

$roles['approver'] = 3;

print_r($roles);Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

Output:

Array
(
    [admin] => 1
    [editor] => 2
    [approver] => 3
)Code language: PHP (php)

Summary

• Use the PHP array_push() function to add one or more elements to the end of an array.