How Can I Get a Variable's Name as a String in PHP?

Getting Variable Names as Strings in PHP

In PHP, retrieving the name of a variable as a string can be a peculiar task. Consider the following code:

$FooBar = "a string";

To extract the variable's name, we could typically employ a function like this:

print_var_name($FooBar);

Expecting the function to output "FooBar", we encounter a dilemma: PHP natively lacks a straightforward method for accessing variable names as strings.

However, a workaround does exist. While it may not be the most efficient solution, it provides a way to retrieve variable names under certain specific conditions:

<?php

function varName($v) {
    $trace = debug_backtrace();
    $vLine = file(__FILE__);
    $fLine = $vLine[$trace[0]['line'] - 1];
    preg_match("#\$(\w+)#", $fLine, $match);
    print_r($match);
}

$foo = "knight";
$bar = array(1, 2, 3);
$baz = 12345;

varName($foo);
varName($bar);
varName($baz);

?>

This function, varName(), operates by parsing the line that invoked it, searching for the argument passed into the function call. While it can be customized to handle multiple arguments, it's important to note that this workaround has its limitations. For more complex scenarios, alternative solutions may prove more suitable. Nonetheless, it offers a method for retrieving variable names in PHP for limited use cases.

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