PHP Academy · Lesson

Sorting and Searching Arrays

Use sort, usort, array_search, and in_array.

Sorting and Searching Arrays is a free PHP Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the PHP Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Sort?

PHP provides a rich set of sorting and searching functions for arrays. Choose the right one based on whether you want to preserve keys, sort by value or key, or use a custom comparator.

sort() and rsort()

sort() sorts by value ascending (re-indexes); rsort() sorts descending:

<?php
$nums = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6];
sort($nums);
print_r($nums); // [1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9]

$letters = ['c', 'a', 'b'];
rsort($letters);
print_r($letters); // ['c', 'b', 'a']

asort() and arsort()

asort() sorts by value but preserves keys — useful for associative arrays:

<?php
$scores = ['Alice' => 85, 'Bob' => 92, 'Carol' => 78];
asort($scores);
print_r($scores);
// ['Carol'=>78, 'Alice'=>85, 'Bob'=>92]

ksort() and krsort()

ksort() sorts by keys ascending; krsort() descending:

<?php
$data = ['banana' => 2, 'apple' => 5, 'cherry' => 1];
ksort($data);
print_r($data);
// ['apple'=>5, 'banana'=>2, 'cherry'=>1]

usort() — Custom Comparator

usort() sorts with a user-defined comparison function:

<?php
$people = [
    ['name' => 'Charlie', 'age' => 25],
    ['name' => 'Alice',   'age' => 30],
    ['name' => 'Bob',     'age' => 20],
];

usort($people, fn($a, $b) => $a['age'] <=> $b['age']);

foreach ($people as $p) echo $p['name'] . ' ';  // Bob Charlie Alice

in_array() — Value Search

in_array() checks whether a value exists in an array:

<?php
$tags = ['php', 'mysql', 'nginx'];

var_dump(in_array('php', $tags));      // true
var_dump(in_array('apache', $tags));   // false

// Third argument = strict mode (uses ===)
var_dump(in_array('1', [1, 2, 3], true));  // false (type mismatch)

array_search() — Return Key

array_search() returns the key of the first matching value, or false:

<?php
$colors = ['red', 'green', 'blue'];

$key = array_search('green', $colors);
echo $key;  // 1

$notFound = array_search('purple', $colors);
var_dump($notFound);  // bool(false)

array_unique()

Remove duplicate values from an array:

<?php
$ids = [1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4];
$unique = array_unique($ids);
print_r($unique); // [1, 2, 3, 4] — keys preserved!

$reindexed = array_values($unique); // re-index to 0,1,2,3

array_flip()

Swap keys and values in an associative array:

<?php
$map = ['a' => 1, 'b' => 2, 'c' => 3];
$flipped = array_flip($map);
print_r($flipped); // [1=>'a', 2=>'b', 3=>'c']

// Useful for O(1) lookup by value
$exists = isset($flipped[2]);  // true

array_diff() and array_intersect()

Compare arrays to find differences and overlaps:

<?php
$a = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
$b = [3, 4, 5, 6, 7];

$diff   = array_diff($a, $b);       // [1, 2] — in a but not b
$inter  = array_intersect($a, $b);  // [3, 4, 5] — in both

print_r($diff);
print_r($inter);

Binary Search via Custom Logic

PHP doesn't have a built-in binary search, but you can implement one or use sorted keys for fast lookups:

<?php
function binarySearch(array $arr, int $target): int {
    $lo = 0;
    $hi = count($arr) - 1;
    while ($lo <= $hi) {
        $mid = intdiv($lo + $hi, 2);
        if ($arr[$mid] === $target) return $mid;
        $arr[$mid] < $target ? $lo = $mid + 1 : $hi = $mid - 1;
    }
    return -1;
}
echo binarySearch([1,3,5,7,9], 7); // 3

Quick Check

Which PHP function returns the key of a matching value in an array?

Recap: Sorting and Searching

Key functions:

sort/rsort — by value, re-index
asort/arsort — by value, keep keys
ksort/krsort — by key
usort — custom comparator
in_array — value existence check
array_search — value to key lookup
array_unique/array_flip/array_diff/array_intersect

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Sorting and Searching Arrays” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Sorting and Searching Arrays” is free to read here on the web, and the PHP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the PHP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Sorting and Searching Arrays”?

Use sort, usort, array_search, and in_array. You practise PHP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start PHP Academy?

No prior experience is required. PHP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Sorting and Searching Arrays” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this PHP Academy lesson?

Yes. Every PHP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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