What does associative array mean in php

In PHP, an associative array means an array with a specified key and each ID key is associated with a value. It is an array using the key assigned to the array; in storing the specifically named value When using numeric arrays is not the best approach, you can use associative arrays, using values ​​as keys and assigning values ​​to them.

The operating environment of this article: Windows 10 system, PHP version 8.1, Dell G3 computer

Associative array in php

An associative array with a specified key, each of which has a value associated with its ID key. is an array using the keys assigned to the array. Using numeric arrays is not the best practice when storing data about specifically named values. With associative arrays, we can use values ​​as keys and assign values ​​to them.

Associative arrays in PHP store data in the form of key-value pairs. Unlike numerically indexed arrays, you can index each element using a label or key. Keys are easy to remember. For example, you can easily store structured data in an associative array. In this article, we will discuss PHP associative arrays. Additionally, we will discuss ways to create, insert, and access elements in associative arrays.

Creating Associative Arrays in PHP

Creating associative arrays in PHP is easy. Suppose we want to create an array to store students' scores in an array. It is best to store the student name as the key and the score as the value.

<?php
  
  $scoreArray = array(
    &#39;Chandler&#39; => 50, 
    &#39;Monica&#39; => 80, 
    &#39;Ross&#39; => 95
  ); 
?>

Note:

$scoreArray is the name of the variable.

['KeyName'] is the index key of the element.

The integer value is the student's score.

Inserting into associative array in PHP

You can insert new elements into associative array in PHP using assignment operator, As shown below:

<?php
  //Creating an Array
  $scoreArray = array(
    &#39;Chandler&#39; => 50, 
    &#39;Monica&#39; => 80, 
    &#39;Ross&#39; => 95
  ); 
        //Inserting New Elements
  $scoreArray[&#39;Joey&#39;] = 75;
  $scoreArray[&#39;Rachael&#39;] = 55;
?>

In the above code snippet, we first initialize an array with some key-value pairs. Then we insert the new element by assigning the value to a key.

Note: You can also create an array by initializing an empty array and then inserting elements into it.

<?php
  
  $scoreArray = array(); 
  $scoreArray[&#39;Joey&#39;] = 75;
  $scoreArray[&#39;Rachael&#39;] = 55;
?>

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