Getting element from PHP array returned by function

Question

I'm not sure if this is possible, but I can't figure out how to do it if it is...

I want to get a specific element out of an array that is returned by a function, without first passing it into an array... like this...

$item = getSomeArray()[1];


function getSomeArray(){
     $ret = Array();
     $ret[0] = 0;
     $ret[1] = 100;
     return $ret;
}

What's the correct syntax for this?

Answer 1

PHP cannot do this yet, it's a well-known limitation. You have every right to be wondering "are you kidding me?". Sorry.

If you don't mind generating an E_STRICT warning you can always pull out the first and last elements of an array with reset and end respectively -- this means that you can also pull out any element since array_slice can arrange for the one you want to remain first or last, but that's perhaps taking things too far.

But despair not: the (at this time upcoming) PHP 5.4 release will include exactly this feature (under the name array dereferencing).

Update: I just thought of another technique which would work. There's probably good reason that I 've never used this or seen it used, but technically it does the job.

// To pull out Nth item of array:
list($item) = array_slice(getSomeArray(), N - 1, 1);

Answer 2

PHP 5.4 has added Array Dereferencing, here's the example from PHP's Array documentation:

Example #7 Array dereferencing

function getArray() {
    return ['a', 'b', 'c'];
}

// PHP 5.4
$secondElement = getArray()[0]; // output = a

// Previously
$tmp = getArray();
$secondElement = $tmp[0]; // output = a