Master PHP’s array_sum(): Quick Guide to Summing Arrays Efficiently

Syntax

array_sum(array $array): number

Parameter Description

$array

: The array whose elements are to be summed; it must be a numeric array.

Return Value

The function returns the sum of all numeric elements in the array. If the array is empty, it returns 0. Non‑numeric elements are ignored.

Example Code

<?php
// Example array
$numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

// Calculate the sum of all elements
$sum = array_sum($numbers);

// Output the result
echo "Array sum is: $sum";
?>

The above script defines a numeric array $numbers, calls array_sum(), and prints Array sum is: 15.

Handling Empty Arrays

If $array contains no elements, array_sum() returns 0 because there are no values to add.

Ignoring Non‑Numeric Elements

When the array includes strings, booleans, or other non‑numeric types, those entries are skipped during the calculation.

<?php
// Example with non‑numeric values
$numbers = [1, 2, "3", 4, true];

$sum = array_sum($numbers);

echo "Array sum is: $sum";
?>

In this case, the string "3" and the boolean true are ignored, so the function returns 7, and the output is Array sum is: 7.

Conclusion

The array_sum() function is a convenient tool for quickly summing numeric arrays in PHP. It works with both integers and floats, returns 0 for empty arrays, and safely ignores any non‑numeric elements, helping developers avoid calculation errors.