PHP array_any Function

last modified March 13, 2025

The PHP array_any function checks if any element in an array passes a test implemented by a callback function. It's useful for partial validation.

Basic Definition

The array_any function tests whether any element satisfies a condition. It returns true if at least one element passes the test.

Syntax: array_any(array $array, callable $callback): bool. The callback should return true for passing elements. Empty arrays return false.

Basic array_any Example

This shows simple validation checking if any array element is positive.

basic_array_any.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

function array_any(array $array, callable $callback): bool {
    foreach ($array as $element) {
        if ($callback($element)) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

$numbers = [-2, -1, 0, 1];
$hasPositive = array_any($numbers, fn($n): bool => $n > 0);

echo $hasPositive ? 'Has positive' : 'No positives';

This checks if any number is positive. The callback tests each element, and array_any returns true since 1 passes the test.

Checking for Specific Values

Verify if any string in an array matches a specific value.

specific_values.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$colors = ["red", "green", "blue"];
$hasBlue = array_any($colors, fn($color): bool => $color === "blue");

echo $hasBlue ? 'Has blue' : 'No blue';

This checks if "blue" exists in the array. The callback compares each element, returning true when it finds the matching value.

Object Property Check

Check if any object in an array has a property meeting certain criteria.

object_property_check.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

class User {
    public function __construct(
        public string $name,
        public bool $isAdmin
    ) {}
}

$users = [
    new User("Alice", false),
    new User("Bob", false),
    new User("Charlie", true)
];

$hasAdmin = array_any($users, fn(User $u): bool => $u->isAdmin);

echo $hasAdmin ? 'Has admin' : 'No admins';

This verifies if any user is an admin. The callback checks each object's isAdmin property, returning true when it finds an admin user.

Empty Array Behavior

array_any returns false for empty arrays, which is logical.

empty_array.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$emptyArray = [];
$result = array_any($emptyArray, fn($x): bool => $x > 10);

echo $result ? 'Some pass' : 'None pass';

With no elements to check, array_any returns false. This follows mathematical logic where existential quantification over an empty set is false.

Early Termination

array_any stops checking after first success for efficiency.

early_termination.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$numbers = [1, 3, 5, 8, 9];
$hasEven = array_any($numbers, function($n): bool {
    echo "Checking $n\n";
    return $n % 2 === 0;
});

echo $hasEven ? 'Has even' : 'No evens';

The function stops at the first even number (8). You'll only see output for 1, 3, 5, and 8, demonstrating the short-circuit behavior.

Best Practices

Clear Callbacks: Use descriptive names for callback logic.
Type Safety: Add type hints for robust validation.
Performance: Place likely matches early in large arrays.
Readability: Consider helper functions for complex checks.

Source

PHP Array Filter Documentation (related functionality)

This tutorial covered the PHP array_any pattern with practical examples showing its usage for array validation scenarios.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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