The array_diff function is used to compare array difference sets and returns elements unique to the first array. It compares and retains the original key name according to the value. For example, after comparing $array1 and $array2, only 1 and 2 in $array1; if the values ??are the same, they are still considered duplicates even if the keys are different; multiple arrays can be passed to find the difference set, such as only 1 is retained after comparing $array1, $array2 and $array3. Common uses include data deduplication, permission control and data synchronization. Pay attention to its characteristics of not comparing key names, and use array_values ??to re-index the results if necessary.
PHP's array_diff
function is used to compare the difference sets of two or more arrays. Simply put, it returns elements that exist in the first array but not in other arrays.

Basic usage
The most common way to use array_diff
is to compare two arrays:

$array1 = [1, 2, 3, 4]; $array2 = [3, 4, 5, 6]; $result = array_diff($array1, $array2); print_r($result);
The output result is:
Array ( [0] => 1 [1] => 2 )
As you can see, only the value unique to $array1
will be retained.

Pay attention to the comparison of key name reserved values
array_diff
is compared only based on the value and does not consider the key name. That is to say, as long as the value is the same, no matter what the key is, it will be considered a duplicate.
For example:
$array1 = ['a' => 10, 'b' => 20]; $array2 = ['x' => 10, 'y' => 30]; $result = array_diff($array1, $array2); print_r($result);
Output:
Array ( [b] => 20 )
Because 10
is available in both arrays, only 20
is retained.
Comparison of multiple arrays
You can pass in multiple arrays to find the difference:
$array1 = [1, 2, 3]; $array2 = [2, 3, 4]; $array3 = [3, 4, 5]; $result = array_diff($array1, $array2, $array3); print_r($result);
Output:
Array ( [0] => 1 )
Note: Values ??that appear in $array1
and do not appear in $array2
and $array3
will be retained.
Practical application scenarios
- Deduplication operation : For example, excluding existing data from the data submitted by the user.
- Permission control : Find out the permission items that the user has but does not allow the system.
- Data synchronization : Find local records but are missing remotely.
For example, you have a set of module lists that are allowed to access and a list of modules requested by users. You can use array_diff
to check whether there are illegal requests.
Tips
- If you need to compare keys and values ??at the same time, you can use
array_diff_assoc
. - If you just need to compare key names, use
array_diff_key
. - The returned array will retain the keys of the original array. If you need to re-index, you can use
array_values()
to process it.
Basically that's it. This function is not complicated, but it is crucial to understand its comparison logic clearly.
The above is the detailed content of How to use php array_diff. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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