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>';
}