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Eric The Coder
Eric The Coder

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PHP cheat sheet (updated to PHP 8.1)

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Here is my cheat sheet I created along my learning journey. If you have any recommendations (addition/subtraction) let me know.


PHP local server
php -S localhost:3000 
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Comments

// one line comment /* This is a multiple-lines comment block that spans over multiple lines */ 
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Naming conventions

// PHP opening/closing tag <?php echo "Hello World"; ?> // if no closing tag the rest of the file will be considered PHP // Short syntax for PHP echo <?= "Hello World" ?> //Enable strict typing (first line of your PHP file) <? declare(strict_types=1); // Include a PHP file require 'app/Product.php' // Create a namespace namespace App; // Use a namespace use App\Product; $firstName = 'Mike' // camelCase function updateProduct() // camelCase class ProductItem // StudlyCaps const ACCESS_KEY = '123abc'; // all upper case with underscore separators 
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Output & Input

echo 'Hello World'; // Debug output var_dump($names); print_r($products); // Input from console $name = readline('What is your name : '); 
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Variables Declaration

$name = 'Mike'; //string $isActive = true; //boolean $number = 25; //integer $amount = 99.95; //float $fruits = ['orange', 'apple', 'banana'] //array const MAX_USERS = 50; //constant define('MAX_USERS', 50); //constant // Assign 'by reference' with the & keyword $name_2 = &$name_1 // Type conversion $age = (int)readline('Your age: '); echo 'Your age is' . (string)$age; echo gettype($age); // int echo is_int($age) // true echo is_float(12.5) // true echo is_string($name) // true 
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Strings

// String can use single quote $name = 'Mike' // or double quote $name = "Mike" // Double quote string can escape characters \n = new line \t = tab \\ = backslash echo "Hello Mike\nHello David"; // Double quote string can do interpolation echo "Hello $name"; // string concat echo 'Hello ' . $name; // string length echo strlen($name); // Remove space(s) before and after echo trim($text) // Convert to lowercase / uppercase echo strtolower($email); echo strtoupper($name); // Converts the first character to uppercase echo ucfirst($name); // 'Mike'  // Replace text a by text b in $text echo str_replace('a', 'b', $text); // String Contains (PHP 8) echo str_contains($name, 'ke') # true // Find numeric position of first occurrence  $pos = strpos($name, 'k'); # 2 // Returns portion of string (offset / length) echo substr($name, 0, $pos); # Mi  
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Numbers

 // Shortcut addition assignment $value = 10 $value++ // 11 // or $value += 1 // 11 // Shortcut subtraction assignment $value = 10 $value-- // 9 // or $value -= 1 // 9 // Check if numeric echo is_numeric('59.99'); # true // Round a number echo round(0.80); // returns 1 // Round a number with precision echo round(1.49356, 2)); // returns 1.49 // Random number  echo(rand(10, 100)); # 89 
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Conditionals

// If / elseif / else if ($condition == 10) { echo 'condition 10' } elseif ($condition == 5) { echo 'condition 5' } else { echo 'all other conditions' } // And condition = && if ($condition === 10 && $condition2 === 5) { echo '10 and 5' } // Or condition = || if ($condition === 10 || $condition2 === 5) { echo '10 or 5' } // One line  if ($isActive) return true; // Null check if (is_null($name)) { do something... } //Comparaison operation == // equal no type check === // equal with type check != //not equal || //or && //and > //greater than < //less than // Ternary operator (true : false) echo $isValid ? 'user valid' : 'user not valid'; //Null Coalesce Operator echo $name ?? 'Mike'; //output 'Mike' if $name is null //Null Coalesce Assignment $name ??= 'Mike'; // Null Safe Operator (PHP 8) will return null if one ? is null echo $user?->profile?->activate(); // Null Safe + Null Coalesce (if null will return 'No user profile') echo $user?->profile?->activate() ?? 'Not applicable'; //Spaceship operator return -1 0 1 $names = ['Mike', 'Paul', 'John'] usort($names, function($a, $b) { return $a <=> $b; } // ['John', 'Mike', 'Paul'] // Return false when convert as boolean false, 0, 0.0, null, unset, '0', '', [] // Compare same variable with multiple values switch ($color) { case 'red': echo 'The color is red'; break; case 'yellow': echo 'The color is yellow'; break; case 'blue': echo 'The color is blue'; break; default: echo 'The color is unknown'; } // Match Expression (PHP 8) $type = match($color) { 'red' => 'danger', 'yellow', 'orange' => 'warning', 'green' => 'success', default => 'Unknown' }; // Check if variable declare isset($color['red']); # true 
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Loops and Iterations

//for loop for ($i = 0; $i < 20; $i++) { echo "i value = " . i; } //while loop $number = 1; while ($number < 10) { echo 'value : ' . $number ; $number += 1; } //do while $number = 1; do { echo 'value : ' . $number ; $number += 1; } while ($number < 10); // foreach with break / continue exemple $values = ['one', 'two', 'three']; foreach ($values as $value) { if ($value === 'two') { break; // exit loop } elseif ($value === 'three') { continue; // next loop iteration } } 
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Arrays

//Array declaration can contain any types $example = ['Mike', 50.2, true, ['10', '20']]; //Array declaration $names = ['Mike', 'Peter', 'Shawn', 'John']; // Direct access to a specific element $name[1] //output Peter // How to access an array in an array $example[3][1] // 20 //add a element to an array $names[] = 'Micheal'; // Array merge $array3 = array_merge($array1, $array2); // Merge with spreading operator (also work with associative array) $array3 = [...$array1, ...$array2]; // Array Concat with Spread Operator $names = ['Mike', 'Peter', 'Paul']; $people = ['John', ...$names]; // ['John', 'Mike', 'Peter', 'Paul'] //Remove array entry: unset($names['Peter']); //Array to string echo implode(', ', $names) //output Mike, Shawn, John, Micheal // String to Array echo explode(',', $text); // ['Mike', 'Shawn', 'John'] //loop for each array entry foreach($names as $name) { echo 'Hello ' . $name; } // Number of items in a Array echo count($names); //Associative array declaration (key => value): $person = ['age' => 45, 'genre' => 'men']; //Add to ass. array: $person['name'] = 'Mike'; //loop ass. array key => value:  foreach($names as $key => $value) { echo $key . ' : ' . $value } // Check if a specific key exist echo array_key_exists('age', $person); // Return keys echo array_keys($person); // ['age', 'genre'] // Return values echo array_values($person) // [45, 'men'] //Array filter (return a filtered array) $filteredPeople = array_filter($people, function ($person) { return $names->active; }) // Array map (return transform array): $onlyNames = array_map(function($person) { return ['name' => $person->name]; }, $people) # Search associative array $items = [ ['id' => '100', 'name' => 'product 1'], ['id' => '200', 'name' => 'product 2'], ['id' => '300', 'name' => 'product 3'], ['id' => '400', 'name' => 'product 4'], ]; # search all value in the 'name' column $found_key = array_search('product 3', array_column($items, 'name')); # return 2 
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Functions

//function declararion function name($firstName, $lastName = 'defaultvalue') { return "$firstName $lastName" } //function call name('Mike', 'Taylor'); //function call with named parameters (PHP 8) name(firstName: 'Mike', lastName: 'Taylor'); // order can change //function variables params function name(...$params) { return $params[0] .   . params[1]; } // Closure function Route::get('/', function () { return view('welcome'); }); // Arrow functions Route::get('/', fn () => view('welcome'); // Typed parameter and typed return function display(string $first, string $last) : string { return "$first $last"; } // Typed or null function display(?string $name) { ... } // Union type (or) function display(string|int $data) { ... } // Intersection type (and) function count_and_interate(Iterator&Countable $value) { ... } // Return any type (mixed) function logInfo(string $info) : mixed { ... } // No return (void) function logInfo(string $info) : void { ... } 
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Enumerations

// Declaration enum InvoiceStatus { case Sent; case Paid; case Cancelled; } // The enum can then be use as a type function printInvoiceStatus(InvoiceStatus $status) { print($status->name); } printInvoiceStatus(InvoiceStatus::Sent); // Sent // enum with return value and public function exemple enum InvoiceStatus : int { case Sent = 0; case Paid = 1; case Cancelled = 2; public function text() : string { return match ($this) { self::Sent => 'Sent', self::Paid => 'Paid', self::Cancelled => 'Cancelled' }; } } function getInvoiceStatus(InvoiceStatus $status) { print($status->text()); print($status->value); } getInvoiceStatus(InvoiceStatus::Paid); // Paid1 
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Files

// Get the current dir $current_dir = __DIR__; // Check if file exist if (file_exists('/posts/first.txt')) { do some stuff } // Read file content into one variable $post = file_get_contents($file); //File read $file = fopen("test.txt", "r"); //Output lines until EOF is reached while(! feof($file)) { $line = fgets($file); echo $line. "<br>"; } fclose($file); // File write (csv) $file = fopen('export.csv', 'a'); $array = ['name' => 'Mike', 'age' => 45]; //Write key name as csv header fputcsv($file, array_keys($array[0])); //Write lines (format as csv) foreach ($array as $row) { fputcsv($file, $row); } fclose($file); 
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Errors

//Throw Error if (someCondition) { throw new Exception('Data format error'); } //Catch the Error try { $db->checkData($data); } catch (Exception $e) { echo $e->getMessage(); } 
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OOP

//class declaration class Person { } // object instantiation $person = new Person //class properties and constructor class Person { protected $firstName; protected $lastName; public function __construct($firstName, $lastName) { $this->firstName = $firstName; $this->lastName = $lastName } // Constructor Property Promotion (PHP 8) class Person { public function __construct(protected $firstName, protected $lastName) { } // Getter and Setter class Person { private $name; public function setName($name){ if(!is_string($name)){ throw new Exception('$name must be a string!'); } $this->name = $name; } public function getName(){ return $this->name; } } // Readonly properties (PHP 8.1) class Person { public function __construct( public readonly string $firstName, public readonly string $lastName ) { } } //static constructor public static function create(...$params) { return new self($params) } $person = Person::create(Mike, Taylor); // Static Method class greeting { public static function welcome() { echo "Hello World!"; } } // Call static method greeting::welcome(); // Static method call class greeting { public static function welcome() { echo "Hello World!"; } public function __construct() { static::welcome(); } } new greeting(); // Static constant class Connection { const MAX_USER = 100; } echo Connection::MAX_USER # 100 // class inheritance class Customer extends Person { public function name() { parent::name(); echo 'Override method'; } } // self keyword reference current class (not modify by inheritance late binding like static will be) self::welcome(); // Interface interface Animal { public function makeSound(); } class Cat implements Animal { public function makeSound() { echo "Meow"; } } $animal = new Cat(); $animal->makeSound(); //Trait (mix-in) trait HelloWorld { public function sayHello() { echo 'Hello World!'; } } class Greetings { use HelloWorld; } $object = new Greetings(); $object->sayHello(); 
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Top comments (15)

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anwar_nairi profile image
Anwar

Nice one Eric! You can also add this trick to make numbers even more readable

$bankBalance = 1_000_000; 
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gregorgonzalez profile image
Gregor Gonzalez

Oh didn't know about that. Thanks 👍

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vinceamstoutz profile image
Vincent Amstoutz

Oh like in the JS env ! Thanks for this trick @khalyomede ! 😊

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vladi160 profile image
vladi160

Invokable classes:

class A {
public function __invoke() {
print_r('Hello world!);
}
}
$a = new A();
($a)(); // 'Hello World'

array_reduce:

$total = array_reduce(
$arr,
function($ac, $item) { return $ac + $item; },
0
);

Destructuring arrays:

$arr = [
[1, 'name1'],
[2, 'name2'],
];

[$firstEl, $secondEl] = $arr ; // firstEl = [1, 'name1'], secondEl = [2, 'name2']
[$id, $name] = $firstEl; // $id = 1 | $name = name1

Destructuring in a loop:

`foreach ($arr as [$id, $name]) {

}`

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mlsofts profile image
MLSofts

Thank you for the very interesting article, however I have two comments while going through the article:

the first in Conditionals: switch ($ color) there are two "red" cases
the second in array: // Array declaration can contain any types
$ example = ['Mike', 50.2, true, ['10', '20'];
a "]" is missing at the end

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ericchapman profile image
Eric The Coder

Done. Thanks

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nicholas_moen profile image
arcanemachine • Edited

Nice cheatsheet. Very helpful.

FYI, classes don't use sTuDLy cApS, they use PascalCase aka UpperCamelCase (because camel case can mean either camelCase or CamelCase, making the word completely useless... the term lowerCamelCase should be used to avoid confusion).

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gregorgonzalez profile image
Gregor Gonzalez

Love to see all php8 stuff 🤩

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bigdan256 profile image
BigDan256

Great cheat sheet.

Try to use <?php in place of <? as the tag isn't enabled in recommended production or development environments:
; short_open_tag
; Default Value: On
; Development Value: Off
; Production Value: Off
When you use it and it's not enabled, either your file will error out, or your source code will leak to your output.

Try var_export, it's similar to var_dump and print_r. It outputs content in php syntax, similar to how json_encode will return content in json syntax.

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salehmubashar profile image
Saleh Mubashar

wow, i must say this is quite comprehensive.
I think you could add Superglobals as well
thanks :)

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llbbl profile image
Logan Lindquist

nice job Eric

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ridwanishaq profile image
ridwanishaq

Very helfull, thank very much for this wonderful articles

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code_jedi profile image
Code_Jedi

Thank you! As a PHP developer, I see myself coming back to this over the next couple of months.