PHP

This PHP cheat sheet provides a reference for quickly looking up the correct syntax for the code you use most frequently.

# Getting Started
hello.php

<?php // begin with a PHP open tag.

echo "Hello World\n";

print("Hello quickref.me");

?>
PHP run command

$ php hello.php

Variables

$boolean1 = true;
$boolean2 = True;

$int = 12;
$float = 3.1415926;
 unset($float); // Delete variable

$str1 = "How are you?";

$ ' i h k '
See: Types

Strings

$url = "quickref.me";
echo "I'm learning PHP at $url";

// Concatenate strings
echo "I'm learning PHP at " . $url;

$hello = "Hello, ";

$hello .= "World!";
echo $hello; # => Hello, World!

See: Strings

Arrays

$num = [1, 3, 5, 7, 9];

$num[5] = 11;
unset($num[2]); // Delete variable
print_r($num); # => 1 3 7 9 11
echo count($num); # => 5

See: Arrays

Operators
 $x = 1;
$y = 2;

$sum = $x + $y;
echo $sum; # => 3

See: Operators

Include

vars.php

<?php // begin with a PHP open tag.

$fruit = 'apple';
echo "I was imported";
return 'Anything you like.';
?>

test.php

<?php
include 'vars.php';
echo $fruit . "\n"; # => apple

/* Same as include,
cause an error if cannot be included*/
require 'vars.php';

// Also works
include('vars.php');
require('vars.php');
 // Include through HTTP
include 'http://x.com/file.php';

// Include and the return statement

$result = include 'vars.php';
echo $result; # => Anything you like.
?>
Functions

function add($num1, $num2 = 1) {

return $num1 + $num2;
}
echo add(10); # => 11
echo add(10, 5); # => 15

See: Functions

Comments

# This is a one line shell-style comment

// This is a one line c++ style comment

/* This is a multi line comment

yet another line of comment */

Constants

const MY_CONST = "hello";

echo MY_CONST; # => hello

 # => MY_CONST is: hello
h ' i '
Classes

class Student {
public function __construct($name) {
$this->name = $name;
}
}
$alex = new Student("Alex");

See: Classes

# PHP Types
Boolean

$boolean1 = true;
$boolean2 = TRUE;
$boolean3 = false;
$boolean4 = FALSE;

$boolean5 = (boolean) 1; # => true

$boolean6 = (boolean) 0; # => false

Boolean are case-insensitive

Integer
 $int1 = 28; # => 28
$int2 = -32; # => -32
$int3 = 012; # => 10 (octal)
$int4 = 0x0F; # => 15 (hex)
$int5 = 0b101; # => 5 (binary)

# => 2000100000 (decimal, PHP 7.4.0)

$int6 = 2_000_100_000;

See also: Integers

Strings

echo 'this is a simple string';

See: Strings

Arrays

$arr = array("hello", "world", "!");

See: Arrays

Float (Double)

$float1 = 1.234;
$float2 = 1.2e7;
$float3 = 7E-10;

$float4 = 1_234.567; // as of PHP 7.4.0

var_dump($float4); // float(1234.567)
$float5 = 1 + "10.5"; # => 11.5
$fl t6 1 " 1 3 3" # 1299
Null

$a = null;
$b = 'Hello php!';
echo $a ?? 'a is unset'; # => a is unset
echo $b ?? 'b is unset'; # => Hello php

$a = array();
$a == null # => true
$a === null # => false
is_null($a) # => false

Iterables

function bar(): iterable {

return [1, 2, 3];
}
function gen(): iterable {
yield 1;
yield 2;
yield 3;
}
foreach (bar() as $value) {
echo $value; # => 123
}
# PHP Strings
String

# => '$String'
$sgl_quotes = '$String';

# => 'This is a $String.'

$dbl_quotes = "This is a $sgl_quotes.";

# => a tab character.

$escaped = "a \t tab character.";

# => a slash and a t: \t

$unescaped = 'a slash and a t: \t';

Multi-line

$str = "foo";

// Uninterpolated multi-liners
$nowdoc = <<<'END'
Multi line string
$str
END;

// Will do string interpolation

$heredoc = <<<END
Multi line
$str
END;
 Manipulation

$s = "Hello Phper";
echo strlen($s); # => 11

echo substr($s, 0, 3); # => Hel

echo substr($s, 1); # => ello Phper
echo substr($s, -4, 3);# => hpe

echo strtoupper($s); # => HELLO PHPER

echo strtolower($s); # => hello phper

echo strpos($s, "l"); # => 2

var_dump(strpos($s, "L")); # => false

See: String Functions

# PHP Arrays
Defining

$a1 = ["hello", "world", "!"]

$a2 = array("hello", "world", "!");
$a3 = explode(",", "apple,pear,peach");

Mixed int and string keys

$array = array(
"foo" => "bar",
"bar" => "foo",
 100 => -100,
-100 => 100,
);
d ($ )
Short array syntax

$array = [
"foo" => "bar",
"bar" => "foo",
];

Multi array

$multiArray = [
[1, 2, 3],
[4, 5, 6],
[7, 8, 9],
];

print_r($multiArray[0][0]) # => 1
print_r($multiArray[0][1]) # => 2
print_r($multiArray[0][2]) # => 3

Multi type

$array = array(
"foo" => "bar",
42 => 24,
"multi" => array(
"dim" => array(
"a" => "foo"
)
)
 );

# => string(3) "bar"

var_dump($array["foo"]);

# => int(24)
var_dump($array[42]);

# => string(3) "foo"

var_dump($array["multi"]["dim"]["a"]);

manipulation

$arr = array(5 => 1, 12 => 2);

$arr[] = 56; // Append
$arr["x"] = 42; // Add with key
sort($arr); // Sort
unset($arr[5]); // Remove
unset($arr); // Remove all

See: Array Functions

Indexing iteration

$array = array('a', 'b', 'c');

$count = count($array);

for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {

echo "i:{$i}, v:{$array[$i]}\n";
}
 Value iteration

$colors = array('red', 'blue', 'green');

foreach ($colors as $color) {

echo "Do you like $color?\n";
}

Key iteration

$arr = ["foo" => "bar", "bar" => "foo"];

foreach ( $arr as $key => $value )

{
echo "key: " . $key . "\n";
echo "val: {$arr[$key]}\n";
}

Concatenate arrays

$a = [1, 2];
$b = [3, 4];

// PHP 7.4 later

# => [1, 2, 3, 4]
$result = [...$a, ...$b];

Into functions

$array = [1, 2];

function foo(int $a, int $b) {

echo $a; # => 1
 echo $b; # => 2
}

Splat Operator

function foo($first, ...$other) {

var_dump($first); # => a
var_dump($other); # => ['b', 'c']
}
foo('a', 'b', 'c' /*, ...*/ );
// or
function foo($first, string ...$other){}

# PHP Operators
Arithmetic

+ Addition

- Subtraction

* Multiplication

/ Division

% Modulo

** Exponentiation

Assignment
a += b Same as a = a + b

a -= b Same as a = a – b

a *= b Same as a = a * b

a /= b Same as a = a / b

a %= b Same as a = a % b

Comparison

== Equal

=== Identical

!= Not equal

<> Not equal

!== Not identical

< Less than

> Greater than

<= Less than or equal

>= Greater than or equal

<=> Less than/equal/greater than

Logical
and And

or Or

xor Exclusive or

! Not

&& And

|| Or

Arithmetic

// Arithmetic
$sum = 1 + 1; // 2
$difference = 2 - 1; // 1
$product = 2 * 2; // 4
$quotient = 2 / 1; // 2

// Shorthand arithmetic
$num = 0;
$num += 1; // Increment $num by 1
echo $num++; // Prints 1 (increments after evaluation)
echo ++$num; // Prints 3 (increments before evaluation)
$num /= $float; // Divide and assign the quotient to $num

Bitwise

& And

| Or (inclusive or)

^ Xor (exclusive or)

~ Not

<< Shift left

>> Shift right

# PHP Conditionals
If elseif else

$a = 10;
$b = 20;

if ($a > $b) {

echo "a is bigger than b";
} elseif ($a == $b) {
echo "a is equal to b";
} else {
echo "a is smaller than b";
}

Switch

$x = 0;
switch ($x) {
case '0':
print "it's zero";
break;
 case 'two':
case 'three':
// do something
break;
default:
// do something
}

Ternary operator

# => Does
print (false ? 'Not' : 'Does');

$x = false;
# => Does
print($x ?: 'Does');

$a = null;
$b = 'Does print';
# => a is unset
echo $a ?? 'a is unset';
# => print
echo $b ?? 'b is unset';

Match

$statusCode = 500;
$message = match($statusCode) {
200, 300 => null,
400 => 'not found',
500 => 'server error',
default => 'known status code',
 };
See: Match

Match expressions

$age = 23;

$result = match (true) {

$age >= 65 => 'senior',
$age >= 25 => 'adult',
$age >= 18 => 'young adult',
default => 'kid',
};

echo $result; # => young adult

# PHP Loops
while

$i = 1;
# => 12345
while ($i <= 5) {
echo $i++;
}

do while
$i = 1;
# => 12345
do {
echo $i++;
} while ($i <= 5);

for i

# => 12345
for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
echo $i;
}

break

# => 123
for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
if ($i === 4) {
break;
}
echo $i;
}

continue

# => 1235
for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
if ($i === 4) {
continue;
}
 foreach

$a = ['foo' => 1, 'bar' => 2];

# => 12
foreach ($a as $k) {
echo $k;
}

See: Array iteration

# PHP Functions
Returning values

function square($x)
{
return $x * $x;
}

echo square(4); # => 16

Return types

// Basic return type declaration

function sum($a, $b): float {/*...*/}
function get_item(): string {/*...*/}
 class C {}
// Returning an object
function getC(): C { return new C; }

Nullable return types

// Available in PHP 7.1

function nullOrString(int $v) : ?string
{
return $v % 2 ? "odd" : null;
}
echo nullOrString(3); # => odd
var_dump(nullOrString(4)); # => NULL

See: Nullable types

Void functions

// Available in PHP 7.1

function voidFunction(): void
{
echo 'Hello';
return;
}

voidFunction(); # => Hello

Variable functions

function bar($arg = '')

{
echo "In bar(); arg: '$arg'.\n";
}
$func = 'bar';
$func('test'); # => In bar(); arg: test
Anonymous functions

$greet = function($name)
{
printf("Hello %s\r\n", $name);
};

$greet('World'); # => Hello World

$greet('PHP'); # => Hello PHP

Recursive functions

function recursion($x)
{
if ($x < 5) {
echo "$x";
recursion($x + 1);
}
}
recursion(1); # => 1234

Default parameters

function coffee($type = "cappuccino")

{
return "Making a cup of $type.\n";
}
# => Making a cup of cappuccino.
echo coffee();
 # => Making a cup of .
echo coffee(null);
# => Making a cup of espresso.

Arrow Functions

$y = 1;

$fn1 = fn($x) => $x + $y;

// equivalent to using $y by value:

$fn2 = function ($x) use ($y) {
return $x + $y;
};
echo $fn1(5); # => 6
echo $fn2(5); # => 6

# PHP Classes
Constructor

class Student {
public function __construct($name) {
$this->name = $name;
}
public function print() {
echo "Name: " . $this->name;
}
}
$alex = new Student("Alex");
$alex->print(); # => Name: Alex

Inheritance

class ExtendClass extends SimpleClass

{
// Redefine the parent method
function displayVar()
{
echo "Extending class\n";
parent::displayVar();
}
}

$extended = new ExtendClass();

$extended->displayVar();

Classes variables

class MyClass
{
const MY_CONST = 'value';
static $staticVar = 'static';

// Visibility
public static $var1 = 'pubs';

// Class only
private static $var2 = 'pris';

// The class and subclasses

protected static $var3 = 'pros';
 // The class and subclasses
protected $var6 = 'pro';

// The class only

private $var7 = 'pri';

Access statically

echo MyClass::MY_CONST; # => value

echo MyClass::$staticVar; # => static

Magic Methods

class MyClass
{
// Object is treated as a String
public function __toString()
{
return $property;
}
// opposite to __construct()
public function __destruct()
{
print "Destroying";
}
}

Interface

interface Foo
{
 public function doSomething();
}
interface Bar
{
public function doSomethingElse();
}
class Cls implements Foo, Bar
{
public function doSomething() {}
public function doSomethingElse() {}
}

# Miscellaneous
Basic error handling

try {
// Do something
} catch (Exception $e) {
// Handle exception
} finally {
echo "Always print!";
}

Exception in PHP 8.0

$nullableValue = null;

try {
 $value = $nullableValue ?? throw new InvalidArgumentException();
} catch (InvalidArgumentException) { // Variable is optional
// Handle my exception
echo "print me!";
}
Custom exception

class MyException extends Exception {

// do something
}

Usage

try {
$condition = true;
if ($condition) {
throw new MyException('bala');
}
} catch (MyException $e) {
// Handle my exception
}

Nullsafe Operator

// As of PHP 8.0.0, this line:

$result = $repo?->getUser(5)?->name;

// Equivalent to the following code:

if (is_null($repo)) {
$result = null;
} else {
$user = $repository->getUser(5);
 if (is_null($user)) {
$result = null;
} else {
$result = $user->name;
}
}

See also: Nullsafe Operator

Regular expressions

$str = "Visit Quickref.me";

echo preg_match("/qu/i", $str); # => 1

See: Regex in PHP

fopen() mode

r Read

r+ Read and write, prepend

w Write, truncate

w+ Read and write, truncate

a Write, append

a+ Read and write, append

Runtime defined Constants

define("CURRENT_DATE", date('Y-m-d'));

// One possible representation

echo CURRENT_DATE; # => 2021-01-05

# => CURRENT_DATE is: 2021-01-05

echo 'CURRENT_DATE is: ' . CURRENT_DATE;