As of PHP 7.1, you can now use the shorthand array syntax to destructure your arrays for assignment. Previously you would have had to use a function like list, but now you can use the simple new array shorthand syntax.

Let’s look at some examples.

Basic Example

<?php

$names = [
    'Frank Perez',
    'Carmella Osman',
    'Kristina Endo',
];

// New Shorthand Syntax
[$firstName, $lastName] = $names[0];

// Previous list() Syntax
list($firstName, $lastName) = $names[0];

Example Using Loops

<?php

$names = [
    'Frank Perez',
    'Carmella Osman',
    'Kristina Endo',
];

$names = array_map(function($name) {
    return explode(' ', $name);
}, $names);

foreach($names as [$firstName, $lastName]) {
    echo $lastName . ', ' . $firstName . '<br>';
}