International PHP Conference Berlin 2025

ArrayObject::getArrayCopy

(PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)

ArrayObject::getArrayCopyCreates a copy of the ArrayObject

Description

public ArrayObject::getArrayCopy(): array

Exports the ArrayObject to an array.

Parameters

This function has no parameters.

Return Values

Returns a copy of the array. When the ArrayObject refers to an object, an array of the properties of that object will be returned.

Examples

Example #1 ArrayObject::getArrayCopy() example

<?php
// Array of available fruits
$fruits = array("lemons" => 1, "oranges" => 4, "bananas" => 5, "apples" => 10);

$fruitsArrayObject = new ArrayObject($fruits);
$fruitsArrayObject['pears'] = 4;

// create a copy of the array
$copy = $fruitsArrayObject->getArrayCopy();
var_dump($copy);

?>

The above example will output:

array(5) {
  ["lemons"]=>
  int(1)
  ["oranges"]=>
  int(4)
  ["bananas"]=>
  int(5)
  ["apples"]=>
  int(10)
  ["pears"]=>
  int(4)
}

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User Contributed Notes 5 notes

up
4
spidgorny at gmail dot com
8 years ago
<?php
$data
= $likeArray->getArrayCopy();
?>
will NOT be magically called if you cast to array. Although I've expected it.
<?php
$nothing
= (array)$likeArray;
?>
Here, $data != $nothing.
up
5
Ivo von Putzer
13 years ago
If you did something like this to make your constructor multidimensional capable you will have some trouble using getArrayCopy to get a plain array straight out of the method:
<?php
public function __construct( $array = array(), $flags = 2 )
{
// let’s give the objects the right and not the inherited name
$class = get_class($this);

foreach(
$array as $offset => $value)
$this->offsetSet($offset, is_array($value) ? new $class($value) : $value);

$this->setFlags($flags);
}
?>

That’s the way I solved it:

<?php
public function getArray($recursion = false)
{
// just in case the object might be multidimensional
if ( $this === true)
return
$this->getArrayCopy();

return
array_map( function($item){
return
is_object($item) ? $item->getArray(true) : $item;
},
$this->getArrayCopy() );
}
?>

Hope this was useful!
up
2
jlshor at buffalo dot edu
8 years ago
Is there a difference between casting to an array and using this function?

For instance, if we have:
$arrayObject = new ArrayObject([1, 2, 3]);

Is there a difference between these:
$array = (array) $arrayObject;
vs
$array = $arrayObject->getArrayCopy();

If not, is there any scenario where they would produce different results, or do they produce the result in different ways?
up
1
php at webflips dot net
10 years ago
"When the ArrayObject refers to an object an array of the public properties of that object will be returned."

This description does not seem to be right:

<?php
class A
{
public
$var = 'var';
protected
$foo = 'foo';
private
$bar = 'bar';
}

$o = new ArrayObject(new A());
var_dump($o->getArrayCopy());

/*
Dumps:

array(3) {
["var"]=>
string(3) "var"
["*foo"]=>
string(3) "foo"
["Abar"]=>
string(3) "bar"
}
*/
?>

So it does not only include the public properties.
up
0
sorcerer
7 years ago
When I used print_r ($fruitsArrayObject) instead of print_r ($copy), i.e. ignoring the getArrayCopy() step, I still got the same output. Why?
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