<?php
// Delimiters may be slash, dot, or hyphen
$date = "04.30.1973";
list($month, $day, $year) = split('[/.-]', $date);
echo "Month: $month; Day: $day; Year: $year<br />\n";
$array=array(1,'balaji',NULL);
var_dump($array);
?>

Month: 04; Day: 30; Year: 1973<br />
array(3) {
  [0]=>
  int(1)
  [1]=>
  string(6) "balaji"
  [2]=>
  NULL
}