Laravel Array Helper Functions: Usage and Examples

This guide demonstrates the use of Laravel's array helper functions through clear PHP code snippets and explanations.

<?php
$array = array_add([ 'name' => 'Desk' ], 'price', 100);
// Result: ['name' => 'Desk', 'price' => 100]

The array_collapse function merges multiple arrays into a single flat array:

$array = array_collapse([[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]]);
// Result: [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]

array_divide

splits an associative array into two arrays, one containing keys and the other values:

list($keys, $values) = array_divide(['name' => 'Desk']);
// $keys: ['name'], $values: ['Desk']

array_dot

flattens a multi‑dimensional array using dot notation for nested keys:

$array = [ 'products' => [ 'desk' => [ 'price' => 100 ] ] ];
$flattened = array_dot($array);
// Result: ['products.desk.price' => 100]

array_except

removes specified key/value pairs from an array:

$array = ['name' => 'Desk', 'price' => 100];
$array = array_except($array, ['price']);
// Result: ['name' => 'Desk']

array_first

returns the first element that passes a given truth test, optionally providing a default value:

$array = [100,200,300];
$value = array_first($array, function($v){ return $v >= 150; });
// Result: 200

When no element satisfies the test, a default can be supplied:

$value = array_first($array, $callback, $default);

array_last

works similarly but returns the last element that passes the test:

$value = array_last([100,200,300,110], function($v){ return $v >= 150; });
// Result: 300

array_flatten

converts a multi‑dimensional array into a one‑dimensional array:

$array = ['name' => 'Joe', 'languages' => ['PHP','Ruby']];
$flat = array_flatten($array);
// Result: ['Joe','PHP','Ruby']

array_forget

removes a nested key using dot notation:

$array = ['products' => ['desk' => ['price' => 100]]];
array_forget($array, 'products.desk');
// Result: ['products' => []]

array_get

retrieves a value from a nested array, with an optional default:

$value = array_get($array, 'products.desk.price');
// Result: 100
$value = array_get($array, 'products.desk.discount', 0);
// Result: 0

array_has

checks the existence of a key (or keys) in an array using dot notation:

$exists = array_has($array, 'product.name'); // true
$existsAll = array_has($array, ['product.price','product.discount']); // false

array_only

returns only the specified key/value pairs from an array:

$filtered = array_only($array, ['name','price']);
// Result: ['name' => 'Desk', 'price' => 100]

array_pluck

extracts a list of values for a given key from an array of arrays, optionally using another key as the result's keys:

$names = array_pluck($array, 'developer.name');
// Result: ['Taylor','Abigail']
$named = array_pluck($array, 'developer.name', 'developer.id');
// Result: [1 => 'Taylor', 2 => 'Abigail']

array_prepend

adds an element to the beginning of an array, optionally specifying its key:

$array = ['one','two','three'];
$array = array_prepend($array, 'zero');
// Result: ['zero','one','two','three']
$array = array_prepend(['price'=>100], 'Desk', 'name');
// Result: ['name'=>'Desk','price'=>100]

array_pull

retrieves and removes a key/value pair from an array, with an optional default:

$name = array_pull($array, 'name');
// $name = 'Desk', $array now ['price'=>100]
$value = array_pull($array, $key, $default);

array_random

returns one or more random values from an array:

$random = array_random([1,2,3,4,5]); // e.g., 4
$items = array_random([1,2,3,4,5], 2); // e.g., [2,5]

array_set

sets a value in a nested array using dot notation:

array_set($array, 'products.desk.price', 200);
// Result: ['products'=>['desk'=>['price'=>200]]]

array_sort

sorts an array by its values, optionally using a custom closure:

$sorted = array_sort(['Desk','Table','Chair']);
// Result: ['Chair','Desk','Table']
$sorted = array_values(array_sort($array, function($v){ return $v['name']; }));

Each code block is presented within code tags to preserve formatting, and the surrounding paragraphs explain the purpose and output of the functions, providing a practical reference for developers working with Laravel's array utilities.