我认为标量数组的定义因应用程序而异。也就是说，一些应用程序将需要更严格的定义标量数组，而一些应用程序将需要更宽松的定义。

下面我将介绍3种不同严格程度的方法。

<?php
/**
 * Since PHP stores all arrays as associative internally, there is no proper
 * definition of a scalar array.
 * 
 * As such, developers are likely to have varying definitions of scalar array,
 * based on their application needs.
 * 
 * In this file, I present 3 increasingly strict methods of determining if an
 * array is scalar.
 * 
 * @author David Farrell <DavidPFarrell@gmail.com>
 */

/**
 * isArrayWithOnlyIntKeys defines a scalar array as containing
 * only integer keys.
 * 
 * If you are explicitly setting integer keys on an array, you
 * may need this function to determine scalar-ness.
 * 
 * @param array $a
 * @return boolean
 */ 
function isArrayWithOnlyIntKeys(array $a)
{
    if (!is_array($a))
        return false;
    foreach ($a as $k => $v)
        if (!is_int($k))
            return false;
    return true;
}

/**
 * isArrayWithOnlyAscendingIntKeys defines a scalar array as
 * containing only integer keys in ascending (but not necessarily
 * sequential) order.
 * 
 * If you are performing pushes, pops, and unsets on your array,
 * you may need this function to determine scalar-ness.
 * 
 * @param array $a
 * @return boolean
 */ 
function isArrayWithOnlyAscendingIntKeys(array $a)
{
    if (!is_array($a))
        return false;
    $prev = null;
    foreach ($a as $k => $v)
    {
        if (!is_int($k) || (null !== $prev && $k <= $prev))
            return false;
        $prev = $k;
    }
    return true;
}

/**
 * isArrayWithOnlyZeroBasedSequentialIntKeys defines a scalar array
 * as containing only integer keys in sequential, ascending order,
 * starting from 0.
 * 
 * If you are only performing operations on your array that are
 * guaranteed to either maintain consistent key values, or that
 * re-base the keys for consistency, then you can use this function.
 * 
 * @param array $a
 * @return boolean
 */
function isArrayWithOnlyZeroBasedSequentialIntKeys(array $a)
{
    if (!is_array($a))
        return false;
    $i = 0;
    foreach ($a as $k => $v)
        if ($i++ !== $k)
            return false;
    return true;
}

除非PHP有这样的内置功能，否则您无法在小于O(n)的时间内完成—枚举所有键并检查整数类型。事实上，你还想确保没有漏洞，所以你的算法可能是这样的:

for i in 0 to len(your_array):
    if not defined(your-array[i]):
        # this is not an array array, it's an associative array :)

但为什么要麻烦呢?只需假设数组是您所期望的类型。如果不是，它就会在你面前爆炸——这就是动态编程!测试你的代码，一切都会很好……

简单地说，你可以通过以下步骤检查数组是否关联

使用array_keys()将数组的所有键转换为一个数组 使用array_filter()和从数组中过滤非数字键 is_numeric () 比较过滤数组和实际数组中的元素数量，如果两个数组中的元素数量不相等，则为关联数组。

以上步骤的功能如下所示。

 function isAssociative(array $array)
    {
        return count(array_filter(array_keys($array), function($v){return is_numeric($v);})) !== count($array));
    }

<?php

function is_list($array) {
    return array_keys($array) === range(0, count($array) - 1);
}

function is_assoc($array) {
    return count(array_filter(array_keys($array), 'is_string')) == count($array);
}

?>

这两个得分最高的例子都不能正确地使用$array = array('foo' => 'bar'， 1)这样的数组

function isAssoc($arr)
{
    $a = array_keys($arr);
    for($i = 0, $t = count($a); $i < $t; $i++)
    {
        if($a[$i] != $i)
        {
            return false;
        }
    }
    return true;
}

检测关联数组(哈希数组)的最佳函数

<?php
function is_assoc($arr) { return (array_values($arr) !== $arr); }
?>