How Can I Achieve Pretty Printing in PHP for Improved Script Readability?

PHP Pretty Printing for Enhanced Script Management

PHP developers may encounter a need for a pretty printer to enhance the readability and organization of their scripts. This functionality, similar to Ruby's pp, provides a convenient way to inspect and understand intricate data structures.

Solution: Using the Pre Tag

To achieve pretty printing in PHP, leverage the

 tag:</p>
<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false"><pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">
    <?php
        print_r($your_array);
    ?>

The

 tag instructs the browser to display the output as plain text, preserving whitespace and line breaks. This ensures that the printed data, such as arrays or complex objects, is presented in a structured and informative manner.</p>
<h3>Example</h3>
<p>Consider the following PHP array:</p>
<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">$arr = [
    'one' => 1,
    'two' => ['a', 'b', 'c'],
    'three' => [
        'foo' => 'bar',
        'baz' => 42
    ]
];

Using the pretty printing technique with the

 tag:</p>
<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false"><pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">
    <?php
        print_r($arr);
    ?>

Will produce an output similar to:

Array
(
    [one] => 1
    [two] => Array
        (
            [0] => a
            [1] => b
            [2] => c
        )
    [three] => Array
        (
            [foo] => bar
            [baz] => 42
        )
)

This formatted output significantly enhances understanding and navigation of the data structure, facilitating efficient debugging and troubleshooting.

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