PHP Function Equivalents

"Closest API" and "idiomatic" equivalents aren't always the same thing — each page below shows both, along with the behavioral differences that matter.

• array_map()

  Arrays

  What Python's map() and list comprehensions do differently from PHP's array_map(), with working examples.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• array_filter()

  Arrays

  What Python's filter() and list comprehensions do differently from PHP's array_filter(), including key preservation and default-callback behavior.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• in_array()

  Arrays

  Python's `in` operator as the equivalent of PHP's in_array(), and why PHP's loose-comparison type juggling has no direct Python parallel.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• explode()

  Strings

  Python's str.split() as the equivalent of PHP's explode(), including differences in limit behavior and empty-string handling.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• implode()

  Strings

  Python's str.join() as the equivalent of PHP's implode(), including the reversed argument order and non-string element handling.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• strpos()

  Strings

  Python's str.find() and the `in` operator as equivalents of PHP's strpos(), including the critical difference in how "not found" is signaled.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• substr()

  Strings

  Python's slice syntax as the equivalent of PHP's substr(), including out-of-range and negative-length handling differences.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• trim()

  Strings

  Python's str.strip() as the equivalent of PHP's trim(), including the default whitespace character set differences.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• json_encode()

  JSON

  Python's json.dumps() as the equivalent of PHP's json_encode(), including associative-array-vs-dict and object-vs-array output differences.

  • Python

• json_decode()

  JSON

  Python's json.loads() as the equivalent of PHP's json_decode(), including PHP's default stdClass-vs-array output and error-handling differences.

  • Python

• isset()

  Variables

  Why PHP's isset() has no single Python equivalent — dict.get(), the `in` operator, and try/except KeyError all cover different parts of what isset() does.

  • Python
  • JavaScript

• empty()

  Variables

  Python's `not` operator (truthiness check) as the equivalent of PHP's empty(), and where PHP's specific falsy-value list diverges from Python's.

  • Python
  • JavaScript