Which PHP Array Appending Method is Faster: $array[] or array_push()?

Performance Comparison of Array Appending Methods in PHP: $array[] vs. array_push()

The PHP programming language provides two options for appending members to an array: $array[] and array_push(). While the PHP manual suggests avoiding function calls like array_push(), there have been claims that $array[] might be slower. Let's examine the performance of these methods.

Benchmark Results

To assess the performance, a simple benchmark was conducted by appending 10,000 integers to an array using both methods. The results showed that $array[] was significantly faster, completing the task in approximately 0.0028 seconds compared to 0.0054 seconds for array_push().

Further Testing

Additional testing confirmed this result, with $array[] consistently outperforming array_push() for both individual and multiple additions. This is supported by the PHP manual, which states that using $array[] is more efficient for appending a single element since it eliminates the function call overhead.

Why $array[] is Faster

The $array[] syntax is essentially shorthand for $array[$i] = $value, where $i is the current number of elements in the array. This assignment operation is a direct operation on the array without the need for any function calls or data copying, making it faster.

Conclusion

Based on these benchmarks, $array[] is the faster method for appending elements to an array in PHP. However, for complex array operations or when working with multiple arrays, array_push() may offer more flexibility and convenience.

The above is the detailed content of Which PHP Array Appending Method is Faster: $array[] or array_push()?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!