4.7.1. Problem

4.7.2. Solution

// start at three
$array = array('apple', 'banana', 'coconut');

// grow to five
$array = array_pad($array, 5, '');

Now, count($array) is 5, and the last two elements contain the empty string.

To reduce an array, you can use array_splice( ):

// no assignment to $array
array_splice($array, 2);

This removes all but the first two elements from $array.

4.7.3. Discussion

Here are some examples:

// make a four-element array with 'dates' to the right
$array = array('apple', 'banana', 'coconut');
$array = array_pad($array, 4, 'dates');
print_r($array);
Array
(
    [0] => apple
    [1] => banana
    [2] => coconut
    [3] => dates
)

// make a six-element array with 'zucchinis' to the left
$array = array_pad($array, -6, 'zucchini');
print_r($array);
Array
(
    [0] => zucchini
    [1] => zucchini
    [2] => apple
    [3] => banana
    [4] => coconut
    [5] => dates
)

Be careful. array_pad($array, 4, 'dates') makes sure an $array is at least four elements long, it doesn't add four new elements. In this case, if $array was already four elements or larger, array_pad( ) would return an unaltered $array.

Also, if you declare a value for a fourth element, $array[4]:

$array = array('apple', 'banana', 'coconut');
$array[4] = 'dates';

you end up with a four-element array with indexes 0, 1, 2, and 4:

Array
(
    [0] => apple
    [1] => banana
    [2] => coconut
    [4] => dates
)

// make a four-element array
$array = array('apple', 'banana', 'coconut', 'dates');

// shrink to three elements
array_splice($array, 3);

// remove last element, equivalent to array_pop( )
array_splice($array, -1);

// only remaining fruits are apple and banana
print_r($array);
Array
(
    [0] => apple
    [1] => banana
)

4.7.4. See Also