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3 years ago
get_defined_vars() is very useful for importing many values at once 
into another scope (Such as User-defined functions).

Below is an example for showing some of many values and their variable-names in a table.
(useful in debugging)

You can put this user-defined function at many places in your script 
to show some values (values to be changed in loops) 
to check if they are what they shall be there or not.

<?php
// Set "get_defined_vars()" to 2nd argument.
function get_value_table($name_array, $gdv) {
    $name_value_table = [];
    foreach ($name_array as $name) :
        if (!array_key_exists($name, $gdv)) :
            $value = 'undefined';
        elseif (is_bool($gdv[$name])) :
            $value = $gdv[$name]? 'true' : 'false';
        elseif (is_numeric($gdv[$name]) || is_string($gdv[$name])) :
            $value = $gdv[$name];
        elseif (is_array($gdv[$name])) :
            $value = '<pre>'.print_r($gdv[$name],true).'</pre>';
        else :
            $value = (PHP_VERSION_ID >= 80000)? get_debug_type($gdv[$name]) : get_type($gdv[$name]);
        endif;
        $name_value_table[] = '<tr><td>$'.$name.'<td>'.$value;
    endforeach;
    return '<table border=1>'.implode("\n", $name_value_table).'</table>';
} // (f) get_value_table()

$_1 = 'a';
$_2 = 'b';
$_3 = [1,2];
$_4 = false;
$_5 = null;

$name_array = ['_1','_2','_3','_4','_5','_6'];
$show_id = 1;

if ($show_id === 1) :
    echo get_value_table($name_array, get_defined_vars());
endif;
/* 
if $show_id === 1, only shows below.

$_1      a
$_2      b
$_3      Array
      (
          [0] => 1
          [1] => 2
      )
$_4      false
$_5      null
$_6      undefined
*/

$_2 = 'c';
if ($show_id === 2) :
    echo get_value_table($name_array, get_defined_vars()); // $_2   c
endif;
# if $show_id === 2, $_2 turns "c".

?>
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