$database->getColumns() method

Get all columns from given table

By default returns array of column names. If verbose option is true then it returns an array of arrays, each having 'name', 'type', 'null', 'default', and 'extra' keys, indicating the column name, column type, whether it can be null, what it’s default value is, and any extra information, such as whether it is auto_increment. The verbose option also makes the return value indexed by column name (associative array).

Available since version 3.0.180.

Usage

// basic usage
$array = $database->getColumns(string $table);

// usage with all arguments
$array = $database->getColumns(string $table, $verbose = false);

Arguments

NameType(s)Description
tablestring

Table name or or table.column to get for specific column (when combined with verbose=true)

verbose (optional)bool, int, string

Include array of verbose information for each? (default=false)

  • Omit or false (bool) to just get column names.
  • True (bool) or 1 (int) to get a verbose array of information for each column, indexed by column name.
  • 2 (int) to get raw MySQL column information, indexed by column name (added 3.0.182).
  • 3 (int) to get column types as used in a CREATE TABLE statement (added 3.0.185).
  • Column name (string) to get verbose array only for only that column (added 3.0.182).

Return value

array


$database methods and properties

API reference based on ProcessWire core version 3.0.248

Latest news

  • ProcessWire Weekly #582
    The 582nd issue of ProcessWire Weekly brings in all the latest news from the ProcessWire community. Modules, sites, and more. Read on!
    Weekly.pw / 5 July 2025
  • New ProcessWire admin redesign
    When you upgrade to ProcessWire 3.0.248 or newer (currently the dev branch), you’ll immediately notice something new and beautiful…
    Blog / 9 May 2025
  • Subscribe to weekly ProcessWire news

“To Drupal, or to ProcessWire? The million dollar choice. We decided to make an early switch to PW. And in retrospect, ProcessWire was probably the best decision we made. Thanks are due to ProcessWire and the amazing system and set of modules that are in place.” —Unni Krishnan, Founder of PigtailPundits