Beware, if you try to pad an associative array using numeric keys, your keys will be re-numbered.

<?php
$a = array('size'=>'large', 'number'=>20, 'color'=>'red');
print_r($a);
print_r(array_pad($a, 5, 'foo'));

// use timestamps as keys
$b = array(1229600459=>'large', 1229604787=>20, 1229609459=>'red');
print_r($b);
print_r(array_pad($b, 5, 'foo'));
?>

yields this:
------------------
Array
(
    [size] => large
    [number] => 20
    [color] => red
)
Array
(
    [size] => large
    [number] => 20
    [color] => red
    [0] => foo
    [1] => foo
)
Array
(
    [1229600459] => large
    [1229604787] => 20
    [1229609459] => red
)
Array
(
    [0] => large
    [1] => 20
    [2] => red
    [3] => foo
    [4] => foo
)

To daarius - you mean you have...

[2]=>"two"
[3]=>"three"

and you want...

[0]=>"FILLED"
[1]=>"FILLED"
[2]=>"two"
[3]=>"three"
[4]=>"FILLED"
[5]=>"FILLED"

If so, then the following code...

<?php
$array = array(2 => "two", 3 => "three");
$array = array_pad($array, count($array)+2, "FILLED");
$num = -(count($array)+2);
$array = array_pad($array, $num, "FILLED");
print_r($array);
?>

will return:
Array ( [0] => FILLED [1] => FILLED [2] => two [3] => three [4] => FILLED [5] => FILLED )
The ordering should be okay,...

to the previous commenter -- if you read the manual entry, you'd see that a negative pad_size will put the pad values at the front of the array.

little older, a little wiser.

ksort() will order the array back into its normal order again
so:

<?php
$myArr = array(2 => 'two', 4 => 'four');

$newArr = array_pad(array(), 6, 'FILLED');
$newArr =$myArr+$newArr;
ksort($newArr);
?>

Will give : 
Array ( [0] => FILLED [1] => FILLED [2] => two [3] => FILLED [4] => four [5] => FILLED )

One way to initialize a 20x20 multidimensional array.  

<?php
$a = array();
$b = array();
$b = array_pad($b,20,0);
$a = array_pad($a,20,$b);
?>

A simple example for array_pad()

the syntax is as follows: array_pad(array(), (+/-)int, value)

where "array" is the array to which the value is to be added,

"(+/-) int" is a value that decides the length of the array(it should be greater than the length of the array.
if its a negative number then the value will be added at the left of the array else it will be added to the right.

"values" denotes the value to be added to the array

lets try an example:

<?php

$digits = array();
$digits[0] = 1;
$digits[1] = 2;
$digits[2] = 3;
$arraypad = array_pad($digits, -4, "0");
print_r($arraypad);

?>

output:

Array ( [0] => 0 [1] => 1 [2] => 2 [3] => 3 )

yes that is true. But, if the index of the array is 2=two, 3=three

and i want 4 more keys to be filled. But, not just filled anywhere, but i want to maintain the key index.

so, i would like to have 0=FILLED, 1=FILLED ... 4=FILLED, 5=FILLED

now i got 4 more keys padded with my string.

We can do this "if" we know the missing keys, but if we dont, then it would be nice for array_pad() or perhaps some new function to do this?

obviously we can achive this by looping through the array using array_key_exists(), and if you dont find the key, simply create + fill it.
regards,
Daarius...

OR you could do this 

<?php
$myArr = array(2 => 'three', 3 => 'four');

$newArr = array_pad(array(), 4, 'FILLED');
$newArr =$myArr+$newArr;
?>

This gives your desired result BUT the ordering is a little wierd, because of the order they were added. Indexes are okay though and that is what you wanted.

print_r($newArr) outputs
Array ( [2] => three [3] => four [0] => FILLED [1] => FILLED )

hope this helps