PHP type comparison tables

Contents

The following tables demonstrate behaviors of PHP types and comparison operators, for both loose and strict comparisons. This supplemental is also related to the manual section on type juggling. Inspiration was provided by various user comments and by the work over at » BlueShoes.

Before utilizing these tables, it's important to understand types and their meanings. For example, "42" is a string while 42 is an integer. FALSE is a boolean while "false" is a string.

Note:
HTML Forms do not pass integers, floats, or booleans; they pass strings. To find out if a string is numeric, you may use is_numeric().

Note:
Simply doing if ($x) while $x is undefined will generate an error of level E_NOTICE. Instead, consider using empty() or isset() and/or initialize your variables.

Note:
Some numeric operations can result in a value represented by the constant NAN. Any loose or strict comparisons of this value against any other value, including itself, but except TRUE, will have a result of FALSE. (i.e. NAN != NAN and NAN !== NAN) Examples of operations that produce NAN include sqrt(-1), asin(2), and acosh(0).

**Comparisons of `$x` with PHP functions**
Expression	gettype()	empty()	is_null()	isset()	boolean : if($x)
$x = "";	string	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
$x = null;	NULL	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
var $x;	NULL	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
`$x` is undefined	NULL	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
$x = array();	array	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
$x = array('a', 'b');	array	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = false;	boolean	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
$x = true;	boolean	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = 1;	integer	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = 42;	integer	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = 0;	integer	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
$x = -1;	integer	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = "1";	string	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = "0";	string	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
$x = "-1";	string	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = "php";	string	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = "true";	string	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
$x = "false";	string	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`

**Loose comparisons with ==**
	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	1	0	-1	"1"	"0"	"-1"	`NULL`	array()	"php"	""
`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`
1	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
0	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`
-1	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"1"	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"0"	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"-1"	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
`NULL`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`
array()	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"php"	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
""	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`

Strict comparisons with *===*
	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	1	0	-1	"1"	"0"	"-1"	`NULL`	array()	"php"	""
`TRUE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
1	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
0	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
-1	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"1"	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"0"	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"-1"	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
`NULL`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
array()	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`
"php"	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`	`FALSE`
""	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`FALSE`	`TRUE`

Find a PHP function

English translation

You have asked to visit this site in English. For now, only the interface is translated, but not all the content yet.

If you want to help me in translations, your contribution is welcome. All you need to do is register on the site, and send me a message asking me to add you to the group of translators, which will give you the opportunity to translate the pages you want. A link at the bottom of each translated page indicates that you are the translator, and has a link to your profile.

Thank you in advance.

Document created the 30/01/2003, last modified the 26/10/2018
Source of the printed document:https://www.gaudry.be/en/php-rf-types.comparisons.html

The infobrol is a personal site whose content is my sole responsibility. The text is available under CreativeCommons license (BY-NC-SA). More info on the terms of use and the author.

References

Manuel PHP : http://php.net

These references and links indicate documents consulted during the writing of this page, or which may provide additional information, but the authors of these sources can not be held responsible for the content of this page.
The author This site is solely responsible for the way in which the various concepts, and the freedoms that are taken with the reference works, are presented here. Remember that you must cross multiple source information to reduce the risk of errors.

Contents Haut