PHP current() Function

The current() function is an inbuilt function in PHP.

• It is used to return the value of the element in an array which the internal pointer is currently pointing to.
• The current() function does not increment or decrement the internal pointer after returning the value.
• In PHP, all arrays have an internal pointer. This internal pointer points to some element in that array which is called as the current element of the array.
• Usually, the current element is the first inserted element in the array.

Syntax:

current($array)

Parameters: The current() function accepts a single parameter $array. It is the array of which we want to find the current element.

Return Values: It returns the value of the element in the array which the internal pointer is currently pointing to. If the array is empty then the current() function returns FALSE.

Examples:

Input : current(array("John", "b", "c", "d"))
Output : John
Explanation : Here as we see that input array contains 
many elements and the output is "John" because first 
element is John and current() function returns 
the element to which internal pointer is currently
pointing.

Input: current(array("abc", "123", "7"))
Output: abc

Below programs illustrate the current() function in PHP:

Program 1: 

PHP

<?php

// input array
$arr = array("Ram", "Shita", "Geeta");

// Here current function returns the
//  first element of the array.
echo current($arr);

?>

Output: 

Ram

Program 2: 

PHP

<?php

$arr = array('Sham', 'Mac', 'Jhon', 'Adwin');

// Here current element is Sham.
echo current($arr)."\n";

// increment internal pointer to point
// to next element i.e, Mac
echo next($arr)."\n";

// printing the current element as
// for now current element is Mac.
echo current($arr)."\n";

// increment internal pointer to point
// to next element i.e, Jhon.
echo next($arr)."\n";

// increment internal pointer to point
// to next element i.e, Adwin.
echo next($arr)."\n";

// printing the current element as for
// now current element is Adwin.
echo current($arr)."\n";

?>

Output: 

Sham
Mac
Mac
Jhon
Adwin
Adwin

Note: The current() function returns False when array is empty i.e, do not contain any elements, and also it returns false when internal pointer go out of the bound i.e beyond the end of the last element.

Reference:
http://php.net/manual/en/function.current.php