Are there any potential pitfalls or misunderstandings when working with PHP arrays that have both numerical indexes and associative keys?

When working with PHP arrays that have both numerical indexes and associative keys, it's important to be aware that PHP will automatically reindex the array when mixing both types. This can lead to unexpected behavior when trying to access specific elements by their keys or indexes. To avoid this issue, consider using separate arrays for numerical indexes and associative keys, or use consistent keys for all elements in the array.

// Example of using separate arrays for numerical indexes and associative keys
$numericArray = [1, 2, 3];
$assocArray = ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2'];

// Accessing elements in the numerical array
echo $numericArray[0]; // Output: 1

// Accessing elements in the associative array
echo $assocArray['key1']; // Output: value1