most badass built-in php function

[.josh]

In you opinion, what do you think  is the most "badass" built-in php function? Like..."Holy shit I didn't know there was something out there for xyz, I somehow feel like I just learned a new kung-fu move! <swipe hands in air pretending you really know kung-fu>"

[corbin]

I think the PCRE functions are all quite ninja.

 

 

But really nothing ever surprises me.  I think it's because I started on PHP, so I expect all the super simplifying functions to be there lol.

[nrg_alpha]

Hmm.. that's a tough one.. I agree with corbin mentioning PCRE... but once you learn it, it's old hat (much like anything else I suppose).

For me, as of late, it's not so much about something built-in that blows my socks off or anything, but nice to know ones:

 

The Reflection API offers built-in classes that provide a nice way to 'reverse engineer' objects to see what they are comprised of (something I have only started making use of as of late - I know, I'm late to the reflection party so to speak).

 

I'm digging PHP 5.3's closures (a closure is a 'kind of anonymous' function that can be stored as a variable and is contextual with regards to variables involved).

 

Simple example:

$x = 2;
$addStuff = function() use ($x){
    $args = func_get_args(); // get unknown list of function() parameters (if no params are present, $arg will be set yet empty)
    if(count($args)){
foreach($args as &$val){
    $val += $x;
}
return $args;
    } else {
echo 'No values passed into function()';
    }
};

$arr = $addStuff(3,7); // you can add or remove parameters here and function() will be flexible
echo '<pre>'.print_r($arr, true);

 

EDIT - the flexible part of parameters is not due to function() itself, as this can be done with a regular function..

[Garethp]

Well, I started on PHP aswell, but I never expected FTP! I learned it and I was all like WOW! ... Then I realised it wasn't all that cool. But when I found out about DOM OH YEAH!

[448191]

I'd have to say do_what_i_want_now_please().

 

(no offense to anyone's third cousin removed )

[zq29]

I think levenshtein(), soundex() and metaphone() are pretty bad-ass. I've not yet had a requirement for soundex() or metaphone() though.

[Mchl]

Just starting toying with them, but SPL file objects and iterators seem to be cool.

[xylex]

date_sunrise() and date_sunset()

[corbin]

date_sunrise() and date_sunset()

 

 

Wow...  Those are pretty nifty.