array_merge_keys()

Description

array_merge_keys() - fast alternative to PHP's built-in array_merge()

array array_merge_keys(array $target, array $extra);

You'll need to experiment with your own application to work out when array_merge_keys() is faster than PHP's built-in array_merge().

Parameters

array_merge_keys() takes two parameters:

• $target (array) - the array that $extra will be merged into
• $extra (array) - the list of values to merge into $target

It's a good idea to only call array_merge_keys() if both $target and $extra are associative arrays. Combining associative and non-associative arrays (i.e. arrays with numbered indexes) works, but you'll probably find the results very confusing!

Return Values

array_merge_keys() returns a new array. This is the result of merging the keys in $extra into $target.

• $extra overwrites $target where the same key exists in both arrays
• otherwise, the values of unique keys from both arrays are added to the new array

Example

$target = [
    "fish" => "trout",
    "name" => "harry",
    "action" => "met",
];

$extra = [
    "fish" => "salmon",
    "name" => "sally"
];

var_dump(array_merge_keys($target, $extra));

Outputs:

array(4) {
  'fish' =>
  string(6) "salmon"
  'name' =>
  string(5) "sally"
  'action' =>
  string(3) "met"
}