Remove an Element at Given Index from Array in PHP
Given an array and an index, the task is to remove the element at a given index from an array in PHP.
Below are the approaches to remove an element at a given index from an array using PHP:
Table of Content
- Using unset() Function
- Using array_splice() Function
- Using foreach Loop
Using unset() Function
The unset() function is used to remove an element at a specific index. This function effectively removes the element but leaves the array keys unchanged.
Example: In this approach, unset($array[$index]) removes the element at the specified index. Note that the array keys are not re-indexed, so you may need additional steps if you require a contiguous array.
<?php
function removeElement($arr, $index) {
if (array_key_exists($index, $arr)) {
unset($arr[$index]);
}
return $arr;
}
// Driver code
$arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
$index = 2;
$updatedArr = removeElement($arr, $index);
print_r($updatedArr);
?>
Output
Array
(
[0] => 1
[1] => 2
[3] => 4
[4] => 5
)
Using array_splice() Function
The array_splice() function removes a portion of an array and can be used to remove an element at a specific index, while also re-indexing the array.
Example: Here, array_splice($array, $index, 1) removes one element at the specified index and re-indexes the array, making it contiguous again.
<?php
function removeElement($arr, $index) {
if (array_key_exists($index, $arr)) {
array_splice($arr, $index, 1);
}
return $arr;
}
// Driver code
$arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
$index = 2;
$updatedArr = removeElement($arr, $index);
print_r($updatedArr);
?>
Output
Array
(
[0] => 1
[1] => 2
[2] => 4
[3] => 5
)
Using foreach Loop
A manual method involves using a foreach loop to iterate over the array and rebuild it without the specified element.
Example: This approach involves creating a new array and adding elements that are not at the specified index. The resulting array is contiguous and does not have gaps.
<?php
function removeElement($arr, $index) {
$newArray = [];
foreach ($arr as $key => $value) {
if ($key != $index) {
$newArray[] = $value;
}
}
return $newArray;
}
// Driver code
$arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
$index = 2;
$updatedArr = removeElement($arr, $index);
print_r($updatedArr);
?>
Output
Array
(
[0] => 1
[1] => 2
[2] => 4
[3] => 5
)