PHP array_push error

Question

My code is as below,

$products = array();
for($i=0; $i < sizeof($sales); $i++){
    if(!in_array($sales[$i]['Product']['product'], (array)$products)){
        $products = array_push((array)$products, $sales[$i]['Product']['product']);
    }           
}

I'm getting an error called Fatal error: Only variables can be passed by reference...

I'm using php5

$products = (array)$products; //this goes wrong in your method $products = array_push($products, $sales[$i]['Product']['product']); — Sander Visser, Nov 04 '13 at 09:27

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited May 05 '17 at 21:50

You don't use array_push like that, that's your basic problem. You're trying to fix an error you're producing by casting $products to an array, which causes a new error. You use array_push like this:

array_push($products, ...);

You do not assign the return value back to $products, because the return value is the new number of elements in the array, not the new array. So either:

array_push($products, $sales[$i]['Product']['product']);

or:

$products[] = $sales[$i]['Product']['product'];

Not:

$products = array_push($products, $sales[$i]['Product']['product']);

and most certainly not:

$products = array_push((array)$products, $sales[$i]['Product']['product']);

Please RTM: http://php.net/array_push

yes, that was the issue. fixed and working fine now. thanks for the help — Irawana, Nov 04 '13 at 10:12

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 04 '13 at 09:30

The first parameter ($products in your case) has to be a reference, therefore a variable has to be passed. You now cast the variable to an array first and the result of that cast cannot be passed by reference since it is not assigned to a variable. You will have to assign it to a variable first or remove the cast.

PHP array_push error

2 Answers2