php man page for list

LIST(3) 								 1								   LIST(3)

list - Assign variables as if they were an array

SYNOPSIS
       array list (mixed  $var1, [mixed  $...])

DESCRIPTION
	Like array(3), this is not really a function, but a language construct. list(3) is used to assign a list of variables in one operation.

PARAMETERS
	      o $var1
		- A variable.

RETURN VALUES
	Returns the assigned array.

EXAMPLES
       Example #1

	      list(3) examples

	      <?php

	      $info = array('coffee', 'brown', 'caffeine');

	      // Listing all the variables
	      list($drink, $color, $power) = $info;
	      echo "$drink is $color and $power makes it special.
";

	      // Listing some of them
	      list($drink, , $power) = $info;
	      echo "$drink has $power.
";

	      // Or let's skip to only the third one
	      list( , , $power) = $info;
	      echo "I need $power!
";

	      // list() doesn't work with strings
	      list($bar) = "abcde";
	      var_dump($bar); // NULL
	      ?>

       Example #2

	      An example use of list(3)

	      <table>
	       <tr>
		<th>Employee name</th>
		<th>Salary</th>
	       </tr>

	      <?php
	      $result = $pdo->query("SELECT id, name, salary FROM employees");
	      while (list($id, $name, $salary) = $result->fetch(PDO::FETCH_NUM)) {
		  echo " <tr>
" .
			"  <td><a href="info.php?id=$id">$name</a></td>
" .
			"  <td>$salary</td>
" .
			" </tr>
";
	      }

	      ?>

	      </table>

       Example #3

	      Using nested list(3)

	      <?php

	      list($a, list($b, $c)) = array(1, array(2, 3));

	      var_dump($a, $b, $c);

	      ?>

	      int(1)
	      int(2)
	      int(3)

       Example #4

	      Using list(3) with array indices

	      <?php

	      $info = array('coffee', 'brown', 'caffeine');

	      list($a[0], $a[1], $a[2]) = $info;

	      var_dump($a);

	      ?>

	       Gives the following output (note the order of the elements compared in which order they were written in the list(3) syntax):

	      array(3) {
		[2]=>
		string(8) "caffeine"
		[1]=>
		string(5) "brown"
		[0]=>
		string(6) "coffee"
	      }

NOTES
       Warning

	      list(3)  assigns	the values starting with the right-most parameter. If you are using plain variables, you don't have to worry about
	      this. But if you are using arrays with indices you usually expect the order of the indices in the array the same you  wrote  in  the
	      list(3) from left to right; which it isn't. It's assigned in the reverse order.

       Warning

	       Modification of the array during list(3) execution (e.g. using list($a, $b) = $b) results in undefined behavior.

       Note

	      list(3) only works on numerical arrays and assumes the numerical indices start at 0.

SEE ALSO
       each(3), array(3), extract(3).

PHP Documentation Group 														   LIST(3)