Read the first item of a PHP array

Question

I have a PHP array generated by the following code:

$sql = "SELECT adresa.Id_Adresa as id FROM adresa";
$result = $this->os->db->conn->query($sql);
$data = array();
while ($r = $result->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)) {
 $data[] = $r;
}

I want to grab the very first id of this array. How can I do that without parsing all the items? Thanks in advance.

• Luc M: You should add an ORDER BY to your query because the order of data returned is not guarantee without it.
• Giku Promitt: @Luc M, I do not actually need to order the results. The query I actually use is more difficult and it returns only one id. Thanks.

Answer 1

When you say first id of this array I am assuming that is the $data array, just do:

print_r($data[0]);

• Giku Promitt: well, assuming the array does look like [{'id':'1'}], I want to display '1'.
• Naftali: well then you need to do echo data[0]->id;

Answer 2

Why don't you limit the number of items returned if you don't need them?

$sql = "SELECT adresa.Id_Adresa as id FROM adresa LIMIT 1";

Answer 3

$sql = "SELECT adresa.Id_Adresa as id FROM adresa LIMIT 1";
$result = $this->os->db->conn->query($sql);
$firstId = $result->fetchColumn(0);

See the docs at https://www.php.net/manual/en/pdostatement.fetchcolumn.php

• Giku Promitt: $result->fetchColumn() returned me just what I was needing.Thanks all & especially thanks nickf.
• nickf: @Giku Promitt - If this was the answer which solved your problem, you can click the green checkmark (✔) to the left here.