PHP
Extract Column from Array of Associative Arrays
Discover how to efficiently extract a single column of values from an array of associative arrays, perfect for database results, using PHP's array_column.
$records = [
['id' => 101, 'name' => 'Alice', 'score' => 85],
['id' => 102, 'name' => 'Bob', 'score' => 92],
['id' => 103, 'name' => 'Charlie', 'score' => 78]
];
$ids = array_column($records, 'id');
$names = array_column($records, 'name');
print_r($ids);
// Output: Array
// (
// [0] => 101
// [1] => 102
// [2] => 103
// )
print_r($names);
// Output: Array
// (
// [0] => Alice
// [1] => Bob
// [2] => Charlie
// )
How it works: The `array_column()` function extracts a single column (specified by `column_key`) from an array of arrays (or objects). It's incredibly useful for scenarios where you have a dataset, like results from a database query, and you need to quickly get a flat list of specific values, such as all user IDs or product names.