在php中访问没有方括号的数组值

In php how can I access an array's values without using square brackets around the key? My particular problem is that I want to access the elements of an array returned by a function. Say function(args) returns an array. Why is $var = function(args)[0]; yelling at me about the square brackets? Can I do something like $var = function(args).value(0); or am I missing something very basic?In php how can I access an array's values witho