PHP : imploding array and storing the result back to same variable

Question

Are there any pit falls in the below code . Is it safe to use this way. I will not be using the array again

$records_msg = implode(" ",$records_msg);

Does this really work? Even if it does, I would use a second variable which would save the imploded array. After that I would assign this string back to the first variable. So the second one is only a helper-variable. — Fidi
– Fidi, Commented Jul 30, 2010 at 11:22
Don't know, thought implode would work per reference or something, so that this would go terribly wrong. But if it works okay, But I'd never do it this way :) . Thanks — Fidi
– Fidi, Commented Jul 30, 2010 at 11:25
@faileN: PHP's documentation is quite good, and implode()'s page doesn't mention anything about references; also, it actually works like that. See uk.php.net/manual/en/function.implode.php — Piskvor left the building
– Piskvor left the building, Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 14:31
I know where to find the docs, believe me I'm using it since 8 years. But in fact I was to lazy to check this particular issue. So Znarkus already got the fast answer for me. Thanx — Fidi
– Fidi, Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 19:46

Vinicius Braz Pinto · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-30 11:22:04Z

4

Not really, but using a different variable name for the array may improve readability, since it's not a message yet.

answered Jul 30, 2010 at 11:22

Vinicius Braz Pinto

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Markus Hedlund · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-30 11:23:19Z

4

That might be confusing to anyone reading your code. First $records_msg is an Array, then further down the code it is a String.

I would probably rename the Array to $records_messages and the String to $records_message.

answered Jul 30, 2010 at 11:23

Markus Hedlund

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bcosca · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-30 17:07:30Z

2

php is dynamically-typed. there is nothing wrong with choosing brevity at the expense of clarity. you may want the data types of your variables to stay consistent throughout a function/method/class/routine. but nothing in the language prevents you from doing otherwise.

answered Jul 30, 2010 at 17:07

bcosca

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Mikhail Chernykh · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-30 11:29:16Z

2

Another thing. If you have array in array, you'll lose it. Example:

<?php
$input = array(1,2,3,array(4,5));
echo implode(',', $input);
?>

returns:

PHP Notice:  Array to string conversion in C:\Temp\1.php on line 3
1,2,3,Array

answered Jul 30, 2010 at 11:29

Mikhail Chernykh

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1 Comment

Piskvor left the building Over a year ago

@user406659: "never" is a long time. I've seen (and sometimes written) a lot of code which originaly assumed "that'll never happen".

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