PHP, foreach doesnt return an array but array_map with same code returns an array

Question

I want the foreach to return arrays but it just returns a single array. But the array_map with same code does.

• What is the correct way of getting the arrays out of the foreach.
• Why does foreach behaves differently than array_map.

---

Inside the file (userdata.php)

Reme:[email protected]
george bush:[email protected]
obama:[email protected]

---

Using array_map

function registered_users(){
 $file_user = file('userdata.php');
    return array_map(function($user){
        return explode(':',$user);
    },$file_user);
    } //returns the exploded array correctly.

---

Using foreach

function registered_users(){
     $file_user = file('userdata.php');
        foreach ($file_user as $user) {
            return explode(':',$user);
    }
 }// returns Array ( [0] => Reme [1] => [email protected] ) 

Answer 1

Because array_map() iterates over all elements in the array.... the foreach() would do the same except that your return is jumping out of it on the first iteration.

function registered_users(){
    $users = [];
    $file_user = file('userdata.php');
    foreach ($file_user as $user) {
        $users[] = explode(':',$user);
    }
    return $users;
}

EDIT

In response to your question "Why doesn't a return from array_map terminate the iteration?"

Because array_map() is a function that loops/iterates every element in the array, executing a "callback" function against each element. Your return is in the "callback" function, which acts on one individual array element at a time, and is called multiple times by array_map(), once for each element of the array in turn.

The return in your "callback" is simply returning a modified value for that one individual element (the current element in the array_map() loop) to the array_map() function.... it's telling array_map() what the new element value should be.

The array_map() function itself can't be interrupted: it will then continue iterating over the next element, sending that in turn to the "callback" function until it has done so for every element in the array.