Data Types in PHP

Data Types in PHP:

PHP data type mainly divided into three types:

Scalar Data Type

Compound Data Type

Special Data Type

Scalar Data Type:

Scalar data type is divided into four different types. All primitive types come under scalar data type.

Boolean Data Type:

This data type represents either true or false. In PHP value of true is one and false doesn’t contain any value.

is_bool() Function:

By using this function we can check whether the input variable is Boolean or not.

(bool)variable Function:

By using this function we can convert input data type into a Boolean data type.

Integer Data Type:

This data type can hold numeric values.

is_int() Function:

By using this function we can check the input variable is an integer or not.

(int)variable Function / (integer)variable Function / intval(variable) Function:

By using this function we can convert the input variable into integer data type.

Float Data Type:

This data type represents decimal values.

is_float() Function:

To check input variable is float or not.

(float) Variable Function:

Convert the input variable into a floating point.

String Data Types:

A string is a collection of characters. In PHP we can create a string variable in three ways:

Using Single Quotation

Using Double Quotation

Using heredoc Syntax

Heredoc:

This syntax we are using to display HTML content through PHP script to avoid the problem with a single and double quotation which should go for heredoc syntax.

Compound Data Types:

Array:

An array comes under a compound data type using to store multiple values.

Object:

An object is an instance of class comes under a compound data type.

Special Data Type:

Resource Data Type:

Resource data type prefers external resource like database connection, ftp connection, etc.

Null Data Type:

In PHP null is not a value, we can consider a variable as a null variable based on three conditions:

If the variable is not set with any value.

If the variable is set with null.

If a value of the variable is unset.

is_null() Function:

By using this function we can check the variable is null or not.