array_first() and array_last() in PHP 8.5

Getting the first or last value of an array sounds trivial, but in PHP it used to be surprisingly awkward. PHP 8.5 finally adds two obvious functions: array_first() and array_last(). This short lesson shows what they do and why they're a nice cleanup.

Why getting the first array element was awkward before

If your array has plain numeric keys starting at 0, you can grab the first item with $array[0]. But that breaks the moment your keys are different - say, after filtering an array, or when the keys are strings:

<?php
$users = ['u10' => 'Ann', 'u20' => 'Bob', 'u30' => 'Cara'];

echo $users[0]; // Warning: undefined key 0 - there is no key "0"

There's no key 0 here, so $users[0] fails. To reliably get the first value regardless of the keys, people used tricks like reset(), array_key_first(), or array_values($users)[0] - all a bit clumsy and easy to get wrong.

The new way: array_first() and array_last()

PHP 8.5 gives you two clear functions. array_first() returns the first value in the array, and array_last() returns the last value - no matter what the keys look like:

<?php
$users = ['u10' => 'Ann', 'u20' => 'Bob', 'u30' => 'Cara'];

echo array_first($users); // Ann
echo array_last($users);  // Cara

They return the value, not the key. The keys can be numbers, strings, or a mix - it doesn't matter. The functions simply hand you the value at each end.

They return null on an empty array

If the array is empty, both functions return null instead of causing an error:

<?php
$empty = [];

var_dump(array_first($empty)); // NULL
var_dump(array_last($empty));  // NULL

That makes them safe to call without checking the length first. Just remember to handle the null case if an empty array is possible:

<?php
$scores = [];

$best = array_last($scores) ?? 'no scores yet';
echo $best; // no scores yet

Here the ?? operator (the null coalescing operator) supplies a fallback when array_last() returns null.

A practical example

Say you're reading a log where each entry was added in order, and you want the most recent one:

<?php
$log = [
    'boot'    => 'System started',
    'login'   => 'User signed in',
    'error'   => 'Payment failed',
];

echo 'Latest event: ' . array_last($log); // Latest event: Payment failed
echo 'First event: '  . array_first($log); // First event: System started

Clear and readable - the function names say exactly what you get.

Summary

• PHP 8.5 adds array_first() and array_last().
• They return the first and last value of an array, whatever the keys are.
• They return null on an empty array, so they're safe to call without a length check.
• They replace clumsy workarounds like array_values($array)[0] or reset().

FAQ

What do array_first() and array_last() return?

They return the first and last value of the array (not the key). If the array is empty, they return null.

Do they work with string keys?

Yes. That's the main point - they return the value at each end regardless of whether the keys are numbers, strings, or mixed, unlike $array[0] which needs a numeric key.

What happens on an empty array?

Both return null rather than throwing an error, so you can safely pair them with the ?? operator to provide a default value.