Var dump()

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var_dump()

func. [PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8] [vɑr dʌmp]

Plain English

var_dump() tells a program to reveal exactly what's inside something: a variable, a value, an array, an object, or the result of an expression. Not just the value, but what kind of thing it is and how much of it there is. Hand it the word "pending" and it shouts back: "I'm a string, I have seven letters, and the word is pending." Type, size, and value, all at once.

Definitions

1. (computing) A PHP debugging function that displays structured information about one or more expressions, including type and value. Accepts variables, literals, arrays, objects, or function results. Arrays and objects are explored recursively, with values indented to show structure. All public, private, and protected properties of objects are returned in the output unless the object implements a __debugInfo() method.

Syntax

var_dump(mixed $value, mixed ...$values): void

• Accepts one or more expressions to dump.
• Returns no value.

Example

$hot_women = ['Tinashe', 'Senait Gidey', 'Jisoo'];
var_dump($hot_women);

Outputs:

array(3) {
  [0]=> string(7) "Tinashe"
  [1]=> string(12) "Senait Gidey"
  [2]=> string(5) "Jisoo"
}

Three items in the array. Each one identified by its position, its type, its length, and its value. Nothing assumed. Nothing hidden.

See also

• print_r() (gentler, less honest)
• dd() (dumps, then dies; the more dramatic option)
• __debugInfo() (the escape hatch)