# The often overlooked `array_combine()` function

The `array_combine()` function in PHP is a powerful tool that combines two arrays into a single array. It takes two arrays as input: one containing keys and the other containing values. The function then creates a new array with the keys from the first array and the values from the second array.

**Syntax**

The syntax for `array_combine()` is as follows:

“`php
array_combine(array $keys, array $values)
“`

* `$keys`: An array of keys.
* `$values`: An array of values.

**Parameters**

* **$keys**: The array of keys. The keys must be unique and cannot be empty.
* **$values**: The array of values. The values can be of any type.

**Return value**

The function returns a new array with the keys from the first array and the values from the second array. If the number of keys and values does not match, the function will return FALSE.

**Example**

The following example shows how to use the `array_combine()` function to combine two arrays:

“`php
$keys = array(“name”, “age”, “occupation”);
$values = array(“John Doe”, 30, “Software Engineer”);

$combinedArray = array_combine($keys, $values);

print_r($combinedArray);
“`

Output:

“`
Array
(
[name] => John Doe
[age] => 30
[occupation] => Software Engineer
)
“`

**Use cases**

The `array_combine()` function can be used in a variety of situations, such as:

* Converting a key-value pair into an array.
* Creating a new array from two existing arrays.
* Merging two arrays with different keys.
* Finding the intersection of two arrays.

**Conclusion**

The `array_combine()` function is a versatile and powerful tool that can be used to manipulate arrays in a variety of ways. It is often overlooked, but it can be a valuable asset in any PHP programmer’s toolkit.