What is the maximum size of an array in PHP and when does it start to slow down or crash?

In PHP, the maximum size of an array is determined by the amount of memory available to the script. When an array grows too large, it can lead to performance issues or even cause the script to crash due to memory exhaustion. To avoid this, consider using alternative data structures like databases or pagination techniques to handle large datasets efficiently.

// Example of using pagination to handle large datasets
$page = isset($_GET['page']) ? $_GET['page'] : 1;
$limit = 10;
$offset = ($page - 1) * $limit;

// Fetch data from database using LIMIT and OFFSET
$query = "SELECT * FROM large_table LIMIT $limit OFFSET $offset";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

// Process and display data
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    // Display data here
}