array_merge_recursive
array_multisort
Array Functions
PHP Manual

# array_merge

(PHP 4, PHP 5)

array_merge — Merge one or more arrays

### Description

array array_merge ( array `$array1` [, array `$array2` [, array `$...` ]] )

Merges the elements of one or more arrays together so that the values of one are appended to the end of the previous one. It returns the resulting array.

If the input arrays have the same string keys, then the later value for that key will overwrite the previous one. If, however, the arrays contain numeric keys, the later value will not overwrite the original value, but will be appended.

If all of the arrays contain only numeric keys, the resulting array is given incrementing keys starting from zero.

### Parameters

`array1`

  Initial array to merge.

`...`

  Variable list of arrays to recursively merge.

### Return Values

Returns the resulting array.

### Changelog

Version | Description
--- | ---

5.0.0

Warning

The behavior of array_merge() was modified in PHP 5. Unlike PHP 4, array_merge() now only accepts parameters of type array . However, you can use typecasting to merge other types. See the example below for details.

Example #1 array_merge() PHP 5 example

`<?php
$beginning = 'foo';
$end = array(1 => 'bar');
$result = array_merge((array)$beginning, (array)$end);
print_r($result);
?>`

The above example will output:

        Array
        (
            [0] => foo
            [1] => bar
        )

### Examples

Example #2 array_merge() example

`<?php
$array1 = array("color" => "red", 2, 4);
$array2 = array("a", "b", "color" => "green", "shape" => "trapezoid", 4);
$result = array_merge($array1, $array2);
print_r($result);
?>`

The above example will output:

    Array
    (
        [color] => green
        [0] => 2
        [1] => 4
        [2] => a
        [3] => b
        [shape] => trapezoid
        [4] => 4
    )

Example #3 Simple array_merge() example

`<?php
$array1 = array();
$array2 = array(1 => "data");
$result = array_merge($array1, $array2);
?>`

Don't forget that numeric keys will be renumbered!

    Array
    (
        [0] => data
    )

If you want to append array elements from the second array to the first array while not overwriting the elements from the first array and not re-indexing, use the + array union operator:

`<?php
$array1 = array(0 => 'zero_a', 2 => 'two_a', 3 => 'three_a');
$array2 = array(1 => 'one_b', 3 => 'three_b', 4 => 'four_b');
$result = $array1 + $array2;
var_dump($result);
?>`

The keys from the first array will be preserved. If an array key exists in both arrays, then the element from the first array will be used and the matching key's element from the second array will be ignored.

    array(5) {
      [0]=>
      string(6) "zero_a"
      [2]=>
      string(5) "two_a"
      [3]=>
      string(7) "three_a"
      [1]=>
      string(5) "one_b"
      [4]=>
      string(6) "four_b"
    }

### See Also

- array_merge_recursive() - Merge two or more arrays recursively
- array_combine() - Creates an array by using one array for keys and another for its values
- array operators

array_merge_recursive
array_multisort
Array Functions
PHP Manual