PHP reference

array_splice

Removes part of an array and optionally inserts new elements in its place.

Syntax

array_splice(array &$array, int $offset, ?int $length = null, mixed $replacement = []): array

Parameter	Type	Description
$array	array	The array being modified.
$offset	int	The position to start at.
$length	?int	Optional. How many elements to remove.
$replacement	mixed	Optional. What to insert in place of the removed ones.

arrayThe removed elements.

Removing an element from the middle:

<?php
 
$letters = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'];
$removed = array_splice($letters, 1, 2);
 
echo implode('', $letters), ' | ', implode('', $removed);

Output:

ad | bc

Inserting without removing:

<?php
 
$letters = ['a', 'd'];
array_splice($letters, 1, 0, ['b', 'c']);
 
echo implode('', $letters);

Output:

abcd

Do not confuse it with array_slice(), which returns part of an array and leaves the original untouched.

Array functions — Processing arrays in PHP without loops — array_map, array_filter, array_reduce, searching and slicing.