What is the difference between array () and [] in php?

Both get the union of arrays, but array_merge() overwrites duplicate non_numeric keys. Let us now see an example of the array+array−

Example

 Live Demo

<?php
   $arr1 = array( "p"=>"150", "q"=>"100", "r"=>"120", "s"=>"110");
   $arr2 = array("t"=>"115", "u"=>"103", "v"=>"105", "w"=>"125" );
   var_dump ($arr1 + $arr2);
?>

Output

This will produce the following output−

array(8) {
   ["p"]=>
   string(3) "150"
   ["q"]=>
   string(3) "100"
   ["r"]=>
   string(3) "120"
   ["s"]=>
   string(3) "110"
   ["t"]=>
   string(3) "115"
   ["u"]=>
   string(3) "103"
   ["v"]=>
   string(3) "105"
   ["w"]=>
   string(3) "125"
}

Example

Let us now see an example of array_merge() in PHP−

 Live Demo

<?php
   $arr1 = array( "p"=>"150", "q"=>"100", "r"=>"120", "s"=>"110");
   $arr2 = array("t"=>"115", "u"=>"110", "v"=>"105", "w"=>"100" );
   var_dump (array_merge($arr1, $arr2));
?>

Output

This will produce the following output−

array(8) {
   ["p"]=>
   string(3) "150"
   ["q"]=>
   string(3) "100"
   ["r"]=>
   string(3) "120"
   ["s"]=>
   string(3) "110"
   ["t"]=>
   string(3) "115"
   ["u"]=>
   string(3) "110"
   ["v"]=>
   string(3) "105"
   ["w"]=>
   string(3) "100" 
}

Updated on 27-Dec-2019 08:10:00

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Top 5 Answer for PHP Difference between array() and []

98

Following [] is supported in PHP >= 5.4:

['name' => 'test', 'id' => 'theID'] 

This is a short syntax only and in PHP < 5.4 it won't work.

89

As of 2019, it has been 7 years since the [] syntax was added. That is long enough to drop array() except in old legacy programs, in my opinion.

71

If you are using 5.3 or previous version then you can't use [] as an array as well as associative array. If you are using 5.4 or later version of PHP then you can use either array() or [] to create an array, associative array or even multidimensional array.

65

51

Using php 7.2, for me it seems rather then [I am a an array] {I am an array seems to work}. Difference is between {} and []. My code

<p>   <label for="post_category"> Cat 1 </label>   <input type="checkbox" name="post_category{first}" value="cat1">   <br />   <label for="post_category{second}"> Cat 2 </label>   <input type="checkbox" name="post_category" value="cat2"> </p> 

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