calling Array prints 'Array'?

OK, i'm sure this is a really easy one...

what does it mean when i call my array and it just prints 'Array' ?

 

to print the array you use
echo print_r($arrayname);
to printing apart of the array
echo $arrayname[0]

 

why echo and print_r ? just use print_r

 

that's just the way i do it because i found it on the net but if just print_r works thanks for telling me.

 

It means that you are treating it as a string.

 

Yes, say you have an array:

<?php
$fruit = array(apple,banana,pear);
?>

PHP:

There are multiple ways I can output that:

<?php
//1.
echo $fruit; //Returns "Array"

//2.
print_r($fruit); // Returns "Array ( [0] => apple [1] => banana [2] => pear )"

//3.
echo $fruit[0]; //Returns "apple";
echo $fruit[1]; //Returns "banana";
echo $fruit[2]; //Returns "pear";

//4.
foreach($fruit as $fruity){
echo "$fruity,";
} //Returns "apple,banana,pear,"
?>

PHP:

 

Try not to use variables within double quotes if you can avoid it, much slower than just doing echo $fruity , ',';.

(Not going to mention while loops here, that belongs in a different place.)

Dan

 

I have never bothered with those really small things to save a few milliseconds, unless optimization is requested by the client for whatever reason. The sites I have made that are big enough to notice it, have servers that are more than capable of handling it.

And I prefer it be easier/lessconfusing to edit for other coders

 

printf will be trend with php 5

example :
$name = "xfreex";
printf("%s",$name");

%s is string name
%d is double
%i is integer
%b is boolean

 

$name = "xfreex";
printf("%s",$name");

Why? That's just wasted resources...