_{Official ZPE/YASS documentation}Map data types

Maps or associative arrays are similar to those found in PHP, as well as having similarities to dictionaries. They differ from ordinary lists in that they store a pair of values. It stores a key which is used to access a value. The key is the left of the fat arrow.

Since these associative arrays are also maps from a key to a value, the associated functions are called map functions, for example map_put. Prior to version 1.9.9, these functions started with associative_array_ instead of map_, for example associative_array_put. Since version 1.9.9 they have been swapped around. Both work in place of each other since prior to version 1.9.9, map_put was an aliase for associative_array_put, however it has since been swapped around.

$a = [44 => 32, 99 => 93]
  

The empty associative array, which can particularly useful when determining the type of a variable, is represented as [=>]:

$a = [44 => 32, 99 => 93]
print(get_type($a) == get_type([=>]))
        

Prior to version 1.5.3, associative arrays were enclosed in braces ({ }) as opposed to the square brackets used now ([ ]). This change made only a small difference to coding and has no effect on the underlying representation of associative arrays.