PHP explode() Function – Complete Guide with Examples

What is explode() in PHP?

The PHP explode() function is used to split a string into an array using a specified delimiter.

🔹 Use case: When you need to break a string into smaller parts, like splitting a CSV line into values.

🔹 Syntax:

array explode(string $separator, string $string, int $limit = PHP_INT_MAX)

$separator → The character(s) used to split the string.
$string → The input string to be split.
$limit (optional) → Defines the maximum number of elements in the returned array.

💡 Note: If the separator is not found, explode() returns an array with one element (the original string).

1. Basic Example of explode()

Let’s split a comma-separated string into an array:

<?php
$string = "Apple,Banana,Cherry,Date";
$array = explode(",", $string);
print_r($array);
?>

✅ Output:

🔹 The delimiter , is used to separate the values.

2. Using explode() with Different Delimiters

You can split strings using different delimiters, such as spaces, dots, pipes, etc.

<?php
$text = "PHP|JavaScript|Python|C++";
$languages = explode("|", $text);
print_r($languages);
?>

✅ Output:

🔹 The delimiter | is used to separate values.

3. Limiting the Number of Elements

Using the $limit parameter, we can control the number of elements in the output array.

<?php
$string = "one,two,three,four,five";
$array = explode(",", $string, 3);
print_r($array);
?>

✅ Output:

📌 How it works?

The first two splits happen normally.
The remaining part is kept as one single element.

4. Handling Extra Spaces in explode()

If there are spaces around the delimiter, explode() keeps them in the output:

<?php
$string = "Apple, Banana , Cherry ,Date";
$array = explode(",", $string);
print_r($array);
?>

✅ Output:

🔹 Notice the spaces!

Fix: Trim Each Element After Splitting

<?php
$string = "Apple, Banana , Cherry ,Date";
$array = array_map('trim', explode(",", $string));
print_r($array);
?>

✅ Output (cleaned up):

✔️ array_map('trim', $array) removes extra spaces from each element.

5. Exploding Multi-Line Strings

You can split text line by line using "\n" (newline) as a delimiter:

<?php
$text = "Line 1\nLine 2\nLine 3";
$lines = explode("\n", $text);
print_r($lines);
?>

✅ Output:

🔹 This is useful for reading file contents line by line.

6. Real-World Example: Splitting a URL into Parts

Let’s break down a URL into its components:

<?php
$url = "https://example.com/products/item?id=123";
$parts = explode("/", $url);
print_r($parts);
?>

✅ Output:

✔️ Now we can easily extract the domain, paths, or parameters!

7. implode() – The Opposite of explode()

To join an array back into a string, use implode():

<?php
$array = ["PHP", "JavaScript", "Python"];
$string = implode(" | ", $array);
echo $string;
?>

✅ Output:

🔹 Use explode() to split and implode() to join!

8. Common Mistakes & Solutions

❌ Forgetting to Check for an Empty String

✅ Fix:
Always check if the string is empty before exploding.

When to Use explode()

📌 Use explode() when:
✅ Splitting comma-separated values (CSV)
✅ Extracting words from a sentence
✅ Breaking down URLs into components
✅ Handling multi-line file content

⚠️ Remember:
❌ An empty string returns an array with one empty element
❌ Spaces are not automatically removed – use trim() if needed