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PHP Functions

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PHP Built-Ins and Documentation

2:26 with Hampton Paulk

PHP has tons of built in functions to make your life as a PHP developer so much better, but first we need to know how to find them and how to read the docs. Let's jump in.

Internal Functions

How To Read The Docs

strlen

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    [MUSIC] 0:00
    PHP has tons of built in functions to make your life as a PHP developer so 0:05
    much better. 0:09
    But first, we need to know how to find them, and how to read the docs. 0:11
    So let's jump in. 0:14
    Okay, so, from Google search I'm just gonna type in PHP built in. 0:16
    Okay, built in functions, and 0:23
    our first result should be PHP internal built in functions manual. 0:26
    So you'll see this is gonna take us to php.net/manual/en for 0:30
    English, and then functions internal PHP. 0:35
    If you look at the second paragraph, 0:38
    there's a section here that says, how to read a functions definition. 0:39
    So taking a look at this we understand our data types. 0:44
    We've gone over that in a previous lesson. 0:48
    So what we're gonna look at is how it is defined. 0:51
    So for instance, we're looking at string length as our first example. 0:54
    So what you'll see, is that there is a function name, 0:58
    then it will show you when it's been around, so it's been in PHP4 and PHP5. 1:02
    It's going to return an integer value, so you'll see here it says int strlen length, 1:07
    and then inside of that, it'll show you the argument you pass through. 1:13
    It starts by showing you what kind of argument it expects. 1:18
    So it expects a string, and then you pass through a variable, and 1:21
    in this case it just says, string. 1:24
    So then, it tells you the result. 1:27
    It'll say it will return the length of a given string. 1:30
    So that's a very, very simple way to look at the docs. 1:34
    Let's look at string length actually defined. 1:37
    There's actually a link right up here to it. 1:40
    And then we can see how the docs actually look to us. 1:42
    So you'll see here under strlen, we see PHP 4, PHP 5, 1:46
    and then a quick description which just says, get string length. 1:51
    Then, what it expects. 1:56
    Int means it expects an integer, then you have the keyword, 1:57
    which is strlen, which is the actual function. 2:01
    Then the arguments that you pass through have to be a string, and then you 2:04
    just pass through a single argument that is required, dollar sign, string. 2:07
    It'll return to you, the length of the given string as an integer. 2:11
    So that's a very basic example of how to read the documentation. 2:16
    Now, we're gonna do some more, starting with how to look at string functions. 2:21

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