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Program to Insert new item in array on any position in PHP

Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025

New item in an array can be inserted with the help of array_splice() function of PHP. This function removes a portion of an array and replaces it with something else. If offset and length are such that nothing is removed, then the elements from the replacement array are inserted in the place specified by the offset.

Syntax:

array array_splice ($input, $offset [, $length [, $replacement]])

Parameters:

This function takes four parameters out of which 2 are mandatory and 2 are optional:

  • $input: This parameter takes the value of an array on which operations need to be performed.
  • $offset: If this parameter is positive then the start of the removed portion is at that position from the beginning of the input array and if this parameter is negative then it starts that far from the end of the input array.
  • $length: (optional) If this parameter is omitted then it removes everything from offset to the end of the array.
    • If length is specified and is positive, then many elements will be removed.
    • If length is specified and is negative then the end of the removed portion will be that many elements from the end of the array.
    • If length is specified and is zero, no elements will be removed.
  • $replacement: (optional) This parameter is an optional parameter which takes value as an array and if this replacement array is specified, then the removed elements are replaced with elements from this replacement array.

Return Value:

It returns the last value of the array, shortening the array by one element. Note that keys in replacement array are not preserved. Program


Output
Original array : 1 2 3 4 5 
After inserting 11 in the array is : 1 2 11 3 4 5

Time Complexity: O(n)

Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Using Array Slicing and Concatenation

To insert a new item into an array at any position in PHP without using `array_splice()`, use `array_slice()` to split the array at the insertion point, then `array_merge()` to concatenate the parts with the new item inserted in between. This method maintains array integrity and flexibility.

Example: This example shows the implementation of the above-mentioned approach.


Output
Array
(
 [0] => apple
 [1] => orange
 [2] => banana
 [3] => cherry
)

Using Manual Array Manipulation

Manual array manipulation involves iterating through an array, conditionally inserting or modifying elements, and reconstructing the array. This approach provides flexibility but requires careful handling of array indices and potentially higher complexity compared to built-in functions like array_splice() or array_merge().

Example


Output
Array
(
 [0] => apple
 [1] => orange
 [2] => banana
 [3] => cherry
)

References :https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.array-splice.php

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