What is the purpose of using array_shift in PHP and what potential pitfalls should be aware of when using it?

The purpose of using array_shift in PHP is to remove the first element from an array and return it, effectively shifting all other elements to a lower index. When using array_shift, it's important to be aware that it modifies the original array directly, so any changes made are permanent. Additionally, if the array is empty, array_shift will return null. 

// Example of using array_shift to remove the first element from an array
$fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'orange'];
$firstFruit = array_shift($fruits);
echo $firstFruit; // Output: apple
print_r($fruits); // Output: Array ( [0] => banana [1] => orange )

Keywords

array_shift PHP data structure array manipulation edge cases

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