What PHP version is required to use the shorthand method of accessing array values?

To use the shorthand method of accessing array values (also known as the null coalescing operator), you need to have PHP version 7.0 or higher. This shorthand method allows you to access array values without having to check if the key exists first, making your code cleaner and more concise. If you are using an older version of PHP, you will need to upgrade to at least PHP 7.0 to take advantage of this feature.

// Example of accessing array values using the shorthand method
$array = ['key' => 'value'];

// PHP 7.0 and higher
$myValue = $array['key'] ?? 'default value';

echo $myValue; // Output: value

// PHP 5.x or lower
$myValue = isset($array['key']) ? $array['key'] : 'default value';

echo $myValue; // Output: value