PHP Anonymous Functions and Closures: the use Keyword

An anonymous function, also called a closure, is a function with no name. You write function ($param) { ... } where a value is expected: assign it to a variable, pass it to another function, or return it. It can carry variables from the surrounding code with use ($var).

<?php
$greet = function (string $name): string {
    return "Hello, $name";
};   // the semicolon ends the assignment

echo $greet('Ada'), "\n";

$greeting = 'Welcome';
$welcome = function (string $name) use ($greeting): string {
    return "$greeting, $name";
};
echo $welcome('Linus'), "\n";

var_dump($greet instanceof Closure);

Every anonymous function is an object of the built-in class Closure, which is why it can be stored, passed around and called later with $greet(...).

The use keyword captures by value

A closure cannot see outside variables on its own. use ($x) copies the value of $x into the closure at the moment the closure is created, not when it runs:

<?php
$discount = 10;

$apply = function (float $price) use ($discount): float {
    return $price - $discount;
};

$discount = 50;            // changed after the closure was created
echo $apply(100), "\n";    // still uses 10

// Several variables
$currency = 'EUR';
$rate = 1.08;
$convert = function (float $usd) use ($rate, $currency): string {
    return number_format($usd / $rate, 2) . " $currency";
};
echo $convert(54), "\n";

use by reference: &$var

use (&$x) gives the closure the variable itself rather than a copy. Changes inside the closure are visible outside, and changes outside are seen inside. This is how a callback adds to a total or keeps a counter.

<?php
$total = 0;
$addToTotal = function (int $amount) use (&$total): void {
    $total += $amount;
};

$addToTotal(10);
$addToTotal(32);
echo $total, "\n";

// A counter that remembers its state between calls
function makeCounter(): Closure
{
    $count = 0;
    return function () use (&$count): int {
        return ++$count;
    };
}

$next = makeCounter();
echo $next(), $next(), $next(), "\n";

$other = makeCounter();     // its own $count
echo $other(), "\n";

Each call to makeCounter() creates a new $count, and the returned closure keeps it alive after the function has returned. That is what "closure" refers to: the function closes over the variables it needs.

Pass a closure as a callback

Functions such as array_map(), array_filter(), usort() and array_walk() take a function as an argument. A closure lets you write it in place, with as many statements as the job needs:

<?php
$products = [
    ['name' => 'Laptop', 'price' => 1200, 'stock' => 3],
    ['name' => 'Mouse', 'price' => 25, 'stock' => 0],
    ['name' => 'Monitor', 'price' => 300, 'stock' => 7],
];

$minPrice = 100;
$available = array_filter($products, function ($p) use ($minPrice) {
    return $p['stock'] > 0 && $p['price'] >= $minPrice;
});

usort($available, function ($a, $b) {
    return $b['price'] <=> $a['price'];   // most expensive first
});

$labels = array_map(function ($p) {
    $label = strtoupper($p['name']);
    return "$label ({$p['stock']} left)";
}, $available);

print_r($labels);

When the body is a single expression, an arrow function like fn($p) => $p['price'] is shorter and needs no use.

Callables: function names, methods and strlen(...)

A parameter typed callable accepts more than closures. A string with a function name, an array with an object and a method name, and an array with a class name and a static method name all count. Since PHP 8.1, the first-class callable syntax strlen(...) turns any of them into a Closure directly.

<?php
class Formatter
{
    public function shout(string $s): string { return strtoupper($s) . '!'; }
    public static function whisper(string $s): string { return strtolower($s) . '...'; }
}

$words = ['Hello', 'World'];
$f = new Formatter();

print_r(array_map('strtoupper', $words));                   // function name
print_r(array_map([$f, 'shout'], $words));                  // object method
print_r(array_map([Formatter::class, 'whisper'], $words));  // static method

// PHP 8.1 first-class callable syntax
$len = strlen(...);
$shout = $f->shout(...);
$whisper = Formatter::whisper(...);
echo $len('closure'), ' ', $shout('hey'), ' ', $whisper('PSST'), "\n";

function apply(callable $fn, string $value): string
{
    return $fn($value);
}
echo apply('ucfirst', 'php'), "\n";
var_dump(is_callable('no_such_function'));

The (...) form is checked when the line runs: a typo throws an Error right there. A string like 'strtoupr' is only a string until someone tries to call it.

Closures inside a class: $this and static

A closure created inside a method has $this bound automatically, so it can use the object's properties. Mark it static function when it does not need $this, which also stops it from keeping the object alive.

<?php
class Cart
{
    private array $items = [];
    private float $taxRate = 0.2;

    public function add(string $name, float $price): void
    {
        $this->items[$name] = $price;
    }

    public function pricesWithTax(): array
    {
        // $this is available inside the closure
        return array_map(function (float $price): float {
            return round($price * (1 + $this->taxRate), 2);
        }, $this->items);
    }

    public function names(): array
    {
        return array_map(static function (string $name): string {
            return ucfirst($name);
        }, array_keys($this->items));
    }
}

$cart = new Cart();
$cart->add('book', 12.5);
$cart->add('pen', 1.99);
print_r($cart->pricesWithTax());
print_r($cart->names());

Forgetting use

The most common closure bug is using an outside variable without listing it in use. Inside the closure the variable does not exist:

$minAge = 18;
$adults = array_filter($people, function ($p) {
    return $p['age'] >= $minAge;   // $minAge is not in use (...)
});

PHP prints: Warning: Undefined variable $minAge

$minAge is null inside, any age compared >= null is true, and every person passes the filter. On a server that hides warnings, nothing tells you. Add the variable to use:

<?php
$people = [['name' => 'Ada', 'age' => 36], ['name' => 'Tom', 'age' => 12]];
$minAge = 18;

$adults = array_filter($people, function ($p) use ($minAge) {
    return $p['age'] >= $minAge;
});
print_r(array_column($adults, 'name'));

// Or an arrow function, which captures $minAge automatically
$adults2 = array_filter($people, fn($p) => $p['age'] >= $minAge);
print_r(array_column($adults2, 'name'));