PHP 'foreach' array concatenate echo - php

Question

The following will echo "12334".
However, I would like for the "12334" to be placed in a variable say $wordNumValue.
I know it might be a simple thing, but to me it is not. Any help is much appreciated.
<?php
$msg ="hello";
$arrEn = str_split($msg);
foreach ($arrEn as &$value) {
if ($value == 'h') {
echo "1";
} elseif ($value == 'e') {
echo "2";
} elseif ($value == 'l') {
echo "3";
} elseif ($value == 'o') {
echo "4";
} else {
echo 'NULL';
}
}
?>

Answer 1

<?php
$msg ="hello";
$arrEn = str_split($msg);
$wordNumValue = "";
foreach ($arrEn as &$value) {
if ($value == 'h') {
echo "1";
$wordNumValue .= "1";
} elseif ($value == 'e') {
echo "2";
$wordNumValue .= "2";
} elseif ($value == 'l') {
echo "3";
$wordNumValue .= "3";
} elseif ($value == 'o') {
echo "4";
$wordNumValue .= "4";
} else {
echo 'NULL';
}
}
?>

Answer 2

Try this:
<?php
$msg ="hello";
$arrEn = str_split($msg);
$wordNumValue = '';
foreach ($arrEn as &$value) {
if ($value == 'h') {
echo "1";
$wordNumValue .= "1";
} elseif ($value == 'e') {
echo "2";
$wordNumValue .= "2";
} elseif ($value == 'l') {
echo "3";
$wordNumValue .= "3";
} elseif ($value == 'o') {
echo "4";
$wordNumValue .= "4";
} else {
echo 'NULL';
}
}
But as you have many elseifs I, would do this instead:
<?php
$msg ="hello";
$arrEn = str_split($msg);
$wordNumValue = '';
foreach ($arrEn as &$value) {
switch ($value) {
case "h":
$wordNumValue .= "1";
break;
case "e":
$wordNumValue .= "2";
break;
case "l":
$wordNumValue .= "3";
break;
case "o":
$wordNumValue .= "4";
break;
default:
echo 'NULL';
}
}
echo $wordNumValue;
And finally I echoed $wordNumValue instead of echoing single numbers several times.

Answer 3

You can add each string onto a variable using the .= assignment operator;
<?php
$msg ="hello";
$arrEn = str_split($msg);
foreach ($arrEn as &$value) {
if ($value == 'h') {
$wordNumValue .= "1";
} elseif ($value == 'e') {
$wordNumValue .= "2";
} elseif ($value == 'l') {
$wordNumValue .= "3";
} elseif ($value == 'o') {
$wordNumValue .= "4";
}
}
?>
You don't need the final else. See this, PHP: Assignment Operators, and this, PHP: String Operators.
Hope this helps.

Answer 4

You don't need to change your code , before foreach add ob_start();
and after foreach add $wordNumValue = ob_get_clean();