PHP Cheat Sheet

Hello World Integers Anonymous Functions (Closures)

Example Value
<?php $y = 3;
echo 'Hello, World!'; 28 28 $foo = function(int $x) use ($y): int {
return $x + $y;
10_000 10000
};
PHP Tags -28 -28 $foo(1); // 4
Tag Description
012 10 (octal)
<?php Standard opening tag
0x0A 10 (hexadecimal)
Arrow Functions
<?= $foo Short echo tag
0b1010 10 (binary) $y = 3;
<? Short opening tag (discouraged) $foo = fn(int $x): int => $x + $y;
$foo(1); // 4
?> Standard closing tag
Floats
Example Value Generators
Variables 1.234 1.234
function generate(): iterable
$greeting = 'Hello, World!'; -1.2 -1.2 {
echo $greeting; // Hello, World! yield 1;
1.2e3 1200 (scientific notation)
yield 2;
}
Constants 7E-3 0.007 (scientific notation)

const CONSTANT = 'value'; foreach (generate() as $value) {

define('RUNTIME_CONSTANT', CONSTANT); Arrays echo $value;
}
$array = [1, 2, 3];
echo CONSTANT; // value
$array[] = 4;
echo RUNTIME_CONSTANT; // value
$array[4] = 5; Comments
// This is a one line C++ style comment
Strings Functions # This is a one line shell-style comment
$name = 'World'; /* This is a
function foo(int $a, int $b = 5): int multi-line comment */
echo 'Hello, $name!'; // Hello, $name!
{
echo "Hello, $name!"; // Hello, World!
return $a + $b; /**
echo "Hello, {$name}!"; // Hello, World!
} * This is a PHPDoc docblock
foo(1, 2); // 3 * @param string[] $bar
echo <<<END
foo(1); // 6 * @return void
This is a multi-line string
in HEREDOC syntax (with interpolation). */
END; Named Parameters function foo(array $bar): void
{}
echo <<<'END' function foo(string $a, string $b): string
This is a multi-line string {
in NOWDOC syntax (without interpolation). return $a . $b;
END; }
foo(b: 'World!', a: 'Hello, '); // Hello, World!

© Nic Wortel, Software Consultant & Trainer - Updated for PHP 8.4 - Last updated on November 6, 2024 - Find more cheat sheets at https://nicwortel.nl/cheat-sheets
 Atomic / Built-in Types While Enumerations (PHP 8.1)
Type Description
while ($i < 10) { enum Suit {
null NULL (no value) echo $i++; case Hearts;
} case Diamonds;
bool Boolean (true or false)
case Clubs;
int Integer case Spades;
Do/While }
float Floating point number
do {
string String echo $i++; $suit = Suit::Hearts;
} while ($i < 10); $suit->name; // Hearts
array Array
object Object
For Backed Enumerations (PHP 8.1)
resource Reference to an external resource
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) { enum Suit: string {
callable Callback function case Hearts = '♥';
echo $i;
void Function does not return a value } case Diamonds = '♦';
case Clubs = '♣';
never (PHP 8.1) Function never terminates case Spades = '♠';
false false Foreach }

true (PHP 8.2) true foreach ($array as $value) { $hearts = Suit::from('♥');

echo $value; $hearts->value; // '♥'
}
Composite Types & Type Aliases
Type Description foreach ($array as $key => $value) { Language Constructs
echo "$key: $value"; Construct Description
?string Nullable type: string or null }
echo $string Output one or more strings
string|bool Union type: string or bool
Foo&Bar (PHP 8.1) Intersection type: Foo and Bar Switch print $string Output a string and return 1
unset($var) Destroy the specified variable(s)
(A&B)|null (PHP 8.2) Disjunctive Normal Form (DNF) switch ($i) {
case 0: isset($var) Determine if a variable is set
iterable array or Traversable
case 1:
empty($var) Determine if a variable is empty
mixed Any type echo "i equals 0 or 1";
break; die() Output a message and terminate
default:
If/Else echo "i is not equal to 0 or 1";
exit() Output a message and terminate

} Include and evaluate a file or

if ($a > $b) { include <file>
throw a warning if it fails
echo "a is greater than b";
} elseif ($a == $b) { Match require <file>
Include and evaluate a file or
echo "a is equal to b"; throw an error if it fails
} else { $foo = match ($i) { Include and evaluate a file once
echo "a is less than b"; 0 => "i equals 0", include_once <file>
only or throw a warning if it fails
} 1, 2 => "i equals 1 or 2",
default => "i is not equal to 0, 1 or 2", Include and evaluate a file once
require_once <file>
}; only or throw an error if it fails

© Nic Wortel, Software Consultant & Trainer - Updated for PHP 8.4 - Last updated on November 6, 2024 - Find more cheat sheets at https://nicwortel.nl/cheat-sheets
 Object-Oriented Programming Property Keywords Calling Methods/Properties/Constants
Keyword Description Syntax Calls foo() on...
interface FooInterface
{ static Can be accessed statically $foo->foo() The object referenced by $foo
public function baz(): string;
readonly (PHP 8.1) Can only be set in the constructor $this->foo() The current object ($this)
}
Foo::foo() The class Foo
class Foo extends Bar implements FooInterface
Method/Property/Constant Visibility self::foo() The current class
{
private string $bar; Keyword Accessible from parent::foo() The parent (extended) class
public Anywhere static::foo() The called class
public const string BAZ = 'Hello, ';
protected The current class and subclasses
public function __construct(string $bar) private The current class only Namespacing and Importing
{
$this->bar = $bar; namespace Foo\Bar;
} Constructor Property Promotion
use Foo\Baz as BazAlias;
public function baz(): string class Foo use Foo\Baz\{Qux, Quux};
{ { use function strlen;
return self::BAZ . $this->bar; public function __construct(private string $bar) use const PHP_EOL;
} {}
} }
Exceptions
$foo = new Foo("World!");
Property Hooks (PHP 8.4) try {
echo $foo->baz(); // Hello, World!'
throw new Exception('Something went wrong');
echo Foo::BAZ; // Hello, class Foo } catch (Exception $e) {
{ // Code that runs when an exception is thrown
Class Keywords public string $name { } finally {
// (string $value) can be omitted // Code that will always run
Keyword Description set (string $value) { }
abstract Cannot be instantiated $this->name = strtolower($value);
}
final Cannot be extended // Short (closure-style) syntax Traits
extends Extends another class get => ucfirst($this->name);
} trait FooTrait
implements Implements an interface } {
public function baz(): string { ... }
readonly (PHP 8.2) All properties are read-only
}
Asymmetric Visibility (PHP 8.4) class Foo
{
Method keywords class Foo use FooTrait;
Keyword Description { }
public private(set) string $bar = 'baz';
Can be called statically, cannot
static }
access $this Attributes
Must be implemented by $foo = new Foo();
abstract #[Attribute(flags: Attribute::TARGET_CLASS)]
subclasses echo $foo->bar; // baz
$foo->bar = 'Foobar'; // Error class MyClassAttribute
final Subclasses cannot override {}

© Nic Wortel, Software Consultant & Trainer - Updated for PHP 8.4 - Last updated on November 6, 2024 - Find more cheat sheets at https://nicwortel.nl/cheat-sheets
 Arithmetic Operators Comparison Operators String Operators
Operator Description Operator Description Operator Description
+ Addition == Equal (values are converted) . Concatenate
- Subtraction Identical (values and types .= Concatenate and assign
===
match)
* Multiplication
!= Not equal
/ Division Other Operators
<> Not equal Operator Description
% Modulus
!== Not identical Ternary operator: return $b if $a
** Exponentiation $a ? $b : $c
< Less than is true, otherwise return $c

> Greater than Short ternary: return $a if $a is

Bitwise Operators $a ?: $b
true, otherwise return $b
Operator Description <= Less than or equal to
Null coalescing: return $a if $a is
$a ?? $b
& And >= Greater than or equal to not null, otherwise return $b

| Or (inclusive) Returns -1, 0, or 1 if the first Null coalescing assignment:

$a ??= $b
<=> value is less than, equal to, or assign $b to $a if $a is null
^ Xor (exclusive) greater than the second value
Nullsafe: return $a->b if $a is not
$a?->b
~ Not null, otherwise return null
<< Shift left Incrementing/Decrementing Operators $a = &$b Assign $b by reference to $a
>> Shift right Operator Description Suppress errors in the following
@
Increments $a by one, then expression
++$a
returns $a Returns true if the left operand is
Assignment Operators instanceof
an instance of the right operand
Returns $a, then increments $a
Operator Description $a++
by one
= Assign
--$a
Decrements $a by one, then Command Line Interface (CLI)
+= Add and assign returns $a
Command Description
-= Subtract and assign Returns $a, then decrements $a
$a-- php <file> Parse and execute <file>
by one
*= Multiply and assign php -l <file> Syntax check <file>
/= Divide and assign
Logical Operators php -r <code>
Run PHP <code> without using
%= Modulus and assign script tags
Operator Description
**= Exponent and assign php -a Run an interactive shell
and And
&= Bitwise and and assign php -S <addr>:<port> Start built-in web server
or Or
|= Bitwise or and assign php -S <addr>:<port> -t Start built-in web server and
xor Exclusive or <dir> specify document root
^= Bitwise xor and assign ! Not php -m Show loaded modules
<<= Bitwise shift left and assign && And php -i Show configuration information
>>= Bitwise shift right and assign || Or php -v Show PHP version
php -h Show help

© Nic Wortel, Software Consultant & Trainer - Updated for PHP 8.4 - Last updated on November 6, 2024 - Find more cheat sheets at https://nicwortel.nl/cheat-sheets
 String Functions Array Functions Filesystem Functions
Function Description Function Description Function Description

strlen($string) Return length of $string count($array) Count elements in $array file_exists($filename) Return true if $filename exists

str_replace($search, Replace $search with $replace sort($array) Sort $array Return true if $filename is a
is_dir($filename)
$replace, $subject) in $subject directory
array_merge($array1,
Merge $array1 and $array2 Return true if $filename is a
strstr($haystack, Return part of $haystack after $array2) is_file($filename)
$needle) $needle regular file
array_map($callback, Apply $callback to each
substr($string, $start, Return part of $string starting $array) element of $array Return true if $filename is
is_readable($filename)
readable
$length) at $start
array_filter($array, Return elements of $array for
$callback) which $callback returns true Return true if $filename is
strtolower($string) Return $string in lowercase is_writable($filename)
writable
strtoupper($string) Return $string in uppercase array_find($array, Return first element of $array for
Create directory named
$callback) (PHP 8.4) which $callback returns true mkdir($pathname)
Return $string with whitespace $pathname
trim($string) array_find_key($array, Return key of the first element for
trimmed Remove directory named
$callback) (PHP 8.4) which $callback returns true rmdir($dirname)
Return $string with left $dirname
ltrim($string) Return true if $callback
whitespace trimmed array_any($array, unlink($filename) Remove file named $filename
returns true for any element of
Return $string with right $callback) (PHP 8.4)
rtrim($string) $array file_get_contents($filename) Return contents of $filename
whitespace trimmed
Return true if $callback file_put_contents($filename,
array_all($array, Write $data to $filename
explode($delimiter, Split $string into an array by returns true for all elements of $data)
$string) $delimiter $callback) (PHP 8.4)
$array
Join $array into a string with
implode($glue, $array)
$glue
array_reduce($array,
Reduce $array to a single value php.ini Directives
using $callback starting with
$callback, $initial) Directive Description
$initial
str_repeat($string, Repeat $string $multiplier
$multiplier) times Return part of $array starting at date.timezone Set default timezone
array_slice($array,
$offset and continuing for
$offset, $length) Set error reporting level (e.g.
$length elements error_reporting
E_ALL, E_ERROR)
Math Functions Return an array of keys from
array_keys($array) Whether to display errors (e.g. On
Function Description $array display_errors
or Off)
abs($num) Return absolute value of $num Return an array of values from
array_values($array) Set error log file (e.g.
$array error_log
Round $num to the nearest /var/log/php.log)
round($num)
integer array_combine($keys, Return an array of key/value pairs
Mode (e.g. debug, develop,
$values) from $keys and $values xdebug.mode
ceil($num) Round $num up profile)
array_reverse($array) Return a reversed copy of $array Enable Xdebug to discover client
floor($num) Round $num down xdebug.discover_client_host
array_search($needle, Return the key of $needle in host automatically
max($a, $b) Return the greater of $a and $b $haystack) $haystack
min($a, $b) Return the lesser of $a and $b
array_unique($array)
Return a copy of $array with Enable Xdebug Step Debugging
Return $a raised to the power of duplicate values removed
pow($a, $b) XDEBUG_MODE=debug XDEBUG_SESSION=1 php <file>
$b array_diff($array1, Return elements of $array1 not
Return a random number between $array2) in $array2
rand($min, $max) Or for web applications using a browser extension: Firefox Helper
$min and $max array_intersect($array1, Return elements of $array1 also Chrome Helper
$array2) in $array2
sqrt($num) Return square root of $num

© Nic Wortel, Software Consultant & Trainer - Updated for PHP 8.4 - Last updated on November 6, 2024 - Find more cheat sheets at https://nicwortel.nl/cheat-sheets