What is a PHP Function?

A PHP Function is a piece of code that does an action and returns some value. It is a way to divide an application’s logic into small pieces that can be called and executed as needed. There are many built-in functions that PHP provides out of the box that you can use to accomplish various tasks. These include array functions that allow you to perform different actions on arrays, math functions, internationalization functions, and miscellaneous functions. In addition, you can also write your own functions to meet any specific needs that may arise in your applications.

Functions in PHP are a powerful tool that allows you to write modular and reusable code. They provide a way to separate complex code into small, easily understandable parts. Functions help you make your application easier to read, maintain, and extend. They save you time and effort by allowing you to write code only once and call it multiple times.

For example, if you have an arithmetic expression, you can simply write the result of that arithmetic in a function and call it every time you want to print the number. PHP will execute the function and return the results to the output window. This will prevent the need to constantly rewrite and modify the same code.

In addition to this, functions make it possible to reuse code by overriding public methods and class properties. Prior to PHP 8.0, there were some restrictions that applied to private method redeclaration in an extending class such as final or static modifiers.