PHP Constants Containing Arrays?

This failed:

 define('DEFAULT_ROLES', array('guy', 'development team'));

Apparently, constants can't hold arrays. What is the best way to get around this?

define('DEFAULT_ROLES', 'guy|development team');

//...

$default = explode('|', DEFAULT_ROLES);

This seems like unnecessary effort.

Since PHP 5.6, you can declare an array constant with const:

<?php
const DEFAULT_ROLES = array('guy', 'development team');

The short syntax works too, as you'd expect:

<?php
const DEFAULT_ROLES = ['guy', 'development team'];

If you have PHP 7, you can finally use define(), just as you had first tried:

<?php
define('DEFAULT_ROLES', array('guy', 'development team'));

NOTE: while this is the accepted answer, it's worth noting that in PHP 5.6+ you can have const arrays - see Andrea Faulds' answer below.

You can also serialize your array and then put it into the constant:

# define constant, serialize array
define ("FRUITS", serialize (array ("apple", "cherry", "banana")));

# use it
$my_fruits = unserialize (FRUITS);

You can store them as static variables of a class:

class Constants {
    public static $array = array('guy', 'development team');
}
# Warning: array can be changed lateron, so this is not a real constant value:
Constants::$array[] = 'newValue';

If you don't like the idea that the array can be changed by others, a getter might help:

class Constants {
    private static $array = array('guy', 'development team');
    public static function getArray() {
        return self::$array;
    }
}
$constantArray = Constants::getArray();

EDIT

Since PHP5.4, it is even possible to access array values without the need for intermediate variables, i.e. the following works:

$x = Constants::getArray()['index'];

> If you are using PHP 5.6 or above, use Andrea Faulds answer

I am using it like this. I hope, it will help others.

config.php

class app{
	private static $options = array(
		'app_id' => 'hello',
	);
	public static function config($key){
		return self::$options[$key];
	}
}

In file, where I need constants.

require('config.php');
print_r(app::config('app_id'));

This is what I use. It is similar to the example provided by soulmerge, but this way you can get the full array or just a single value in the array.

class Constants {
    private static $array = array(0 => 'apple', 1 => 'orange');

    public static function getArray($index = false) {
        return $index !== false ? self::$array[$index] : self::$array;
    }
}

Use it like this:

Constants::getArray(); // Full array
// OR 
Constants::getArray(1); // Value of 1 which is 'orange'

You can store it as a JSON string in a constant. And application point of view, JSON can be useful in other cases.

define ("FRUITS", json_encode(array ("apple", "cherry", "banana")));    
$fruits = json_decode (FRUITS);    
var_dump($fruits);

Starting with PHP 5.6, you can define constant arrays using const keyword like below

const DEFAULT_ROLES = ['test', 'development', 'team'];

and different elements can be accessed as below:

echo DEFAULT_ROLES[1]; 
....

Starting with PHP 7, constant arrays can be defined using define as below:

define('DEFAULT_ROLES', [
    'test',
    'development',
    'team'
]);

and different elements can be accessed same way as before.

PHP 7+

As of PHP 7, you can just use the define() function to define a constant array :

define('ANIMALS', [
    'dog',
    'cat',
    'bird'
]);

echo ANIMALS[1]; // outputs "cat"

I know it's a bit old question, but here is my solution:

<?php
class Constant {

	private $data = [];

	public function define($constant, $value) {
		if (!isset($this->data[$constant])) {
			$this->data[$constant] = $value;
		} else {
			trigger_error("Cannot redefine constant $constant", E_USER_WARNING);
		}
	}
	
	public function __get($constant) {
		if (isset($this->data[$constant])) {
			return $this->data[$constant];
		} else {
			trigger_error("Use of undefined constant $constant - assumed '$constant'", E_USER_NOTICE);
			return $constant;
		}
	}
	
	public function __set($constant,$value) {
		$this->define($constant, $value);
	}

}
$const = new Constant;

I defined it because I needed to store objects and arrays in constants so I installed also runkit to php so I could make the $const variable superglobal.

You can use it as $const->define("my_constant",array("my","values")); or just $const->my_constant = array("my","values");

To get the value just simply call $const->my_constant;

Yes, You can define an array as constant. From PHP 5.6 onwards, it is possible to define a constant as a scalar expression, and it is also possible to define an array constant. It is possible to define constants as a resource, but it should be avoided, as it can cause unexpected results.

<?php
	// Works as of PHP 5.3.0
	const CONSTANT = 'Hello World';
	echo CONSTANT;

	// Works as of PHP 5.6.0
	const ANOTHER_CONST = CONSTANT.'; Goodbye World';
	echo ANOTHER_CONST;
	
	const ANIMALS = array('dog', 'cat', 'bird');
	echo ANIMALS[1]; // outputs "cat"
	
	// Works as of PHP 7
	define('ANIMALS', array(
	    'dog',
	    'cat',
	    'bird'
	));
	echo ANIMALS[1]; // outputs "cat"
?>

With the reference of this link

Have a happy coding.

Can even work with Associative Arrays.. for example in a class.

class Test {
	
	const 
		CAN = [
			"can bark", "can meow", "can fly"
		],
		ANIMALS = [
			self::CAN[0] => "dog",
			self::CAN[1] => "cat",
			self::CAN[2] => "bird"
		];
	
	static function noParameter() {
		return self::ANIMALS[self::CAN[0]];
	}
	
	static function withParameter($which, $animal) {
		return "who {$which}? a {$animal}.";
	}
	
}

echo Test::noParameter() . "s " . Test::CAN[0] . ".<br>";
echo Test::withParameter(
	array_keys(Test::ANIMALS)[2], Test::ANIMALS["can fly"]
);

// dogs can bark.
// who can fly? a bird.

if you're using PHP 7 & 7+, you can use fetch like this as well

define('TEAM', ['guy', 'development team']);
echo TEAM[0]; 
// output from system will be "guy"

Using explode and implode function we can improvise a solution :

$array = array('lastname', 'email', 'phone');
define('DEFAULT_ROLES', implode (',' , $array));
echo explode(',' ,DEFAULT_ROLES ) [1]; 

This will echo email.

If you want it to optimize it more you can define 2 functions to do the repetitive things for you like this :

//function to define constant
function custom_define ($const , $array) {
	define($const, implode (',' , $array));
}

//function to access constant  
function return_by_index ($index,$const = DEFAULT_ROLES) {
            $explodedResult = explode(',' ,$const ) [$index];
	if (isset ($explodedResult))
		return explode(',' ,$const ) [$index] ;
}

Hope that helps . Happy coding .

Doing some sort of ser/deser or encode/decode trick seems ugly and requires you to remember what exactly you did when you are trying to use the constant. I think the class private static variable with accessor is a decent solution, but I'll do you one better. Just have a public static getter method that returns the definition of the constant array. This requires a minimum of extra code and the array definition cannot be accidentally modified.

class UserRoles {
    public static function getDefaultRoles() {
        return array('guy', 'development team');
    }
}

initMyRoles( UserRoles::getDefaultRoles() );

If you want to really make it look like a defined constant you could give it an all caps name, but then it would be confusing to remember to add the '()' parentheses after the name.

class UserRoles {
    public static function DEFAULT_ROLES() { return array('guy', 'development team'); }
}

//but, then the extra () looks weird...
initMyRoles( UserRoles::DEFAULT_ROLES() );

I suppose you could make the method global to be closer to the define() functionality you were asking for, but you really should scope the constant name anyhow and avoid globals.

You can define like this

define('GENERIC_DOMAIN',json_encode(array(
    'gmail.com','gmail.co.in','yahoo.com'
)));

$domains = json_decode(GENERIC_DOMAIN);
var_dump($domains);

If you are looking this from 2009, and you don't like AbstractSingletonFactoryGenerators, here are a few other options.

Remember, arrays are "copied" when assigned, or in this case, returned, so you are practically getting the same array every time. (See copy-on-write behaviour of arrays in PHP.)

function FRUITS_ARRAY(){
  return array('chicken', 'mushroom', 'dirt');
}

function FRUITS_ARRAY(){
  static $array = array('chicken', 'mushroom', 'dirt');
  return $array;
}

function WHAT_ANIMAL( $key ){
  static $array = (
    'Merrick' => 'Elephant',
    'Sprague' => 'Skeleton',
    'Shaun'   => 'Sheep',
  );
  return $array[ $key ];
}

function ANIMAL( $key = null ){
  static $array = (
    'Merrick' => 'Elephant',
    'Sprague' => 'Skeleton',
    'Shaun'   => 'Sheep',
  );
  return $key !== null ? $array[ $key ] : $array;
}

Constants can only contain scalar values, I suggest you store the serialization (or JSON encoded representation) of the array.