PHP array_pop Function

last modified March 13, 2025

The PHP array_pop function removes and returns the last element of an array. It reduces the array length by one and returns the removed value.

Basic Definition

The array_pop function removes the last element from an array. It returns the removed element or null if the array is empty.

Syntax: array_pop(array &$array): mixed. The function takes an array by reference and modifies it directly. The array's length decreases by 1.

Basic array_pop Example

This demonstrates removing the last element from a simple numeric array.

basic_array_pop.php

<?php

$fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry'];
$lastFruit = array_pop($fruits);

print_r($fruits); 
echo $lastFruit;

The code removes 'cherry' from the array and stores it in $lastFruit. The original array now contains only two elements.

Working with Numeric Arrays

This example shows how array_pop affects numeric array indexes.

numeric_array.php

<?php

$numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40];
$lastNumber = array_pop($numbers);

echo "Removed: $lastNumber\n"; 
echo "Count: " . count($numbers) . "\n"; 
print_r($numbers);

The last element (40) is removed and returned. The array's count decreases from 4 to 3, but existing indexes remain unchanged.

Using array_pop with Associative Arrays

Demonstrates array_pop behavior with associative arrays.

associative_array.php

<?php

$user = [
    'name' => 'John',
    'email' => 'john@example.com',
    'age' => 30
];

$lastValue = array_pop($user);

echo "Removed: $lastValue\n"; 
print_r($user);

The last key-value pair ('age' => 30) is removed. The function works the same way with associative arrays as with indexed arrays.

Empty Array Behavior

Shows what happens when array_pop is called on an empty array.

empty_array.php

<?php

$emptyArray = [];
$result = array_pop($emptyArray);

var_dump($result); 
echo count($emptyArray);

When called on an empty array, array_pop returns NULL. The array remains empty and no error is generated.

Using array_pop in a Loop

Demonstrates processing array elements by repeatedly removing the last one.

loop_example.php

<?php

$stack = ['first', 'second', 'third'];

while ($element = array_pop($stack)) {
    echo "Processing: $element\n";
}


// Processing: third
// Processing: second
// Processing: first

The loop removes and processes each element from the end until the array is empty. This is a common pattern for stack-like operations.

Best Practices

Check array length: Verify array isn't empty if NULL is problematic.
Preserve original: Copy array first if you need the original later.
Stack operations: Use with array_push for stack functionality.
Performance: Faster than array_shift for large arrays.

Source

PHP array_pop Documentation

This tutorial covered the PHP array_pop function with practical examples showing its usage for removing array elements.

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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