Question about Arrays

FatStratCat

I'm reading Larry Ullmans beginners book on PHP. in the chapter about arrays, he started using this symbol "=>" when dealing with arrays, but there is no explanation why, and it is not an operator nor is is listed in the index anywhere else.

Here is the sample script:

[pre]
$soups = array (
'Monday' => 'Clam Chowder',
'Tuesday' =>'Vegetarian',
[/pre]

etc., etc.....

is this just the way arrays are set up, using the "=>" symbol to indicate it is an element of the array?

thorpe

It is how you associate a key, with a value. eg;

$arr = array('name' => 'thorpe');

The array key $arr['name'] now holds the value thorpe.eg;

echo $arr['name'];

FatStratCat

But what is "=>" called? it is not listed as an operator.

I understand what it is doing, but my brain looks at it and sees "equal to or greater than", and I know that is not correct.

Since there does not seem to be a definition of it (I couldn't find one in the manual, either) I am assuming that "=>" is simpy the symbol used to indicate that specific key is being assigned a specific value in an array.

planetsim

From the PHP Manual

Returns an array of the parameters. The parameters can be given an index with the => operator. Read the section on the array type for more information on what an array is.
Note: array() is a language construct used to represent literal arrays, and not a regular function. 
Syntax "index => values", separated by commas, define index and values. index may be of type string or numeric. When index is omitted, an integer index is automatically generated, starting at 0. If index is an integer, next generated index will be the biggest integer index + 1. Note that when two identical index are defined, the last overwrite the first.

Having a trailing comma after the last defined array entry, while unusual, is a valid syntax.