PHP: echoing array only returns the word array instead of its content

Question

I am very new to PHP and hope you can help me with this.

I am fetching some data from SQL and try to create an array that I want to echo on a page.

When I echo the result from the following ($output) then this only returns the word "array" insteaed of the items that I am trying to add to it.

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong here and provide me a short explanation as well ?

$c = "";
$i = 0;
$arr = array();
$output = ''
foreach ($objNames->names as $names) {
    $c = "<img src='images/photos/photo_" . str_replace(" ", "_", $names->member) . ".png' alt='' class='clickable flagLink trackHC' />&nbsp;" . $names->member . " &nbsp;&nbsp;";
    array_push($arr, $c);
    $i++;
}
if($i != 0) {
    $output = $arr;
}


<div id="output"><?php echo $output; ?></div>

Many thanks for any help, Mike.

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 31 '17 at 21:27

3

You cant just echo arrays.

You have to loop through it with a foreach for example:

$c = "";
$i = 0;
$arr = array();
$output = ''
foreach ($objNames->names as $names) {
    $c = "<img src='images/photos/photo_" . str_replace(" ", "_", $names->member) . ".png' alt='' class='clickable flagLink trackHC' />&nbsp;" . $names->member . " &nbsp;&nbsp;";
    array_push($arr, $c);
    $i++;
}
if($i != 0) {
    $output = $arr;
}

foreach($output as $row) {
?>
    <div id="output"><?php echo $row; ?></div>
<?php
}

This should work for you!

edited Jan 31 '17 at 21:27

Sean Kendle

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answered May 13 '14 at 17:41

Xatenev

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Thanks a lot for the quick help ! One more question on this. Will this echo everything to the same div (which is what I need) or will it create multiple divs ? – Mike May 13 '14 at 17:42
multiple divs. put the div tags **outside** the `foreach` loop if you want printing everything in the same div – Luis Masuelli May 13 '14 at 17:55
1

@Mike You have to see it like this: You are taking EVERY element in this array now. and for EACH element in this array, you are executing the code in the {} braces – Xatenev May 13 '14 at 17:57

Luis Masuelli · Answer 2 · 2014-05-13T19:26:22.167

2

An array must be printed using:

print_r($arrayValue)

you can keep the print value also (EDITED):

$x = print_r($arrayValue, true)

but I prefer the json way if it's for logging purposes:

echo json_encode($arrayValue)

keeping in mind every value must be json-serializable.

...

Doing a plain echo $arrayValue will always print "Array" word without any content. Yes, it's a bit unintuitive (since other languages like python don't behave like that) but it is what it is.

edited May 13 '14 at 19:26

answered May 13 '14 at 17:50

Luis Masuelli

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answer updated due to error being detected (missing optional second argument for print_r). – Luis Masuelli May 13 '14 at 19:27

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 13 '14 at 18:05

0

If you wish to just see/print the contents of your array, try this:

print_r ($output);

edited May 13 '14 at 18:05

Populus

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answered May 13 '14 at 17:47

Nawed Khan

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PHP: echoing array only returns the word array instead of its content

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