array_search Without Built-in PHP Array Functions

Description

This example manually searches for a value in an array and returns its key. If the value is not found, it returns false. The logic uses a foreach loop to iterate through the array.

Code Example

<?php
// Function to search for a value in an array
function customArraySearch($needle, $haystack) {
    foreach ($haystack as $key => $value) {
        if ($value === $needle) { // Compare values strictly
            return $key; // Return the key if found
        }
    }
    return false; // Return false if not found
}

// Test array
$array = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "elderberry"];

// Value to search for
$searchValue = "cherry";

// Call the custom function
$result = customArraySearch($searchValue, $array);

// Output
if ($result !== false) {
    echo "Value '{$searchValue}' found at key: {$result}";
} else {
    echo "Value '{$searchValue}' not found in the array.";
}
?>

Output:

Explanation

1. Function customArraySearch:
   • Accepts two parameters: the value to search (needle) and the array to search in (haystack).
   • Iterates through the array using a foreach loop.
   • Checks each value with === to ensure strict comparison.
   • Returns the key if a match is found.