{"id":2016,"date":"2021-06-27T02:18:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-27T02:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=2016"},"modified":"2025-04-05T14:34:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T14:34:47","slug":"php-type-casting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-type-casting\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP Type Casting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: In this tutorial, you’ll learn about PHP type casting, which allows you to convert a value of one type to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP type casting #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Type casting allows you to convert a value of one type to another. To cast a value, you use the following type-casting operators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cast Operators<\/th>Conversion<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
(array)<\/td>Array<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
(bool) or (boolean)<\/td>Boolean<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
(int) or (integer)<\/td>Integer<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
(object)<\/td>Object<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
(real), (double), or (float)<\/td>Float<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
(string)<\/td>String<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take some examples of using the type casting operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cast to an integer #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To cast a value to an integer, you use the (int)<\/code> type-casting operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The (int)<\/code> operator casts a float to an integer. It’ll round the result towards zero. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n

<?php<\/span>\n\necho<\/span> (int)12.5<\/span> . '<br>'<\/span>; \/\/ 12<\/span>\necho<\/span> (int)12.1<\/span> . '<br>'<\/span>; \/\/ 12<\/span>\necho<\/span> (int)12.9<\/span> . '<br>'<\/span>; \/\/ 12<\/span>\necho<\/span> (int)-12.9<\/span> . '<br>'<\/span>; \/\/ -12<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Suppose you have a string and want to cast it as an integer:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span> \n\n$message = 'Hi'<\/span>;\n$num = (int) $message;\necho<\/span> $num; \/\/ 0<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The result may not be what you expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a string is numeric or leading numeric, then the (int)<\/code> will cast it to the corresponding integer value. Otherwise, the (int)<\/code> cast the string to zero. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$amount =  (int)'100 USD'<\/span>;\necho<\/span> $amount; \/\/ 100<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, the (int)<\/code> operator casts the string '100 USD'<\/code> as an integer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note that the (int)<\/code> operator casts null to zero (0). For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$qty = null<\/span>;\necho<\/span> (int)$qty; \/\/ 0<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Cast to a float #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To cast a value to a float<\/a>, you use the (float)<\/code> operator. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$amount = (float)100<\/span>;\necho<\/span> $amount; \/\/ 100<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Cast to a string #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To cast a value to a string, you use the (string)<\/code> operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the (string)<\/code> operator to cast the number 100 to a string:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$amount = 100<\/span>;\necho<\/span> (string)$amount . \" USD\"<\/span>; \/\/ 100 USD<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
You don’t need to use the (string)<\/code> operator in this case because PHP has a feature called type juggling that implicitly converts the integer to a string:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$amount = 100<\/span>;\necho<\/span> $amount . ' USD'<\/span>; \/\/ 100 USD<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The (string)<\/code> operator converts the true<\/code> value to the string \"1\"<\/code> and false<\/code> value to the empty string (“”). For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$is_user_logged_in = true<\/span>;\necho<\/span> (string)$is_user_logged_in; \/\/ 1<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
1<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The (string)<\/code> operator casts null<\/code> to an empty string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The (string)<\/code> cast an array to the \"Array\"<\/code> string. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$numbers = [1<\/span>,2<\/span>,3<\/span>];\n$str = (string) $numbers;\n\necho<\/span> $str; \/\/ Array<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And you’ll get a warning that you’re attempting to convert an array to a string.<\/p>\n\n\n
Warning: Array<\/span> to string conversion in ...<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • PHP type casting allows you to convert a value from one type to another.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Use a type-casting operator to cast a value to the desired type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n\t
    \n\t\t
    Did you find this tutorial useful?<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t Yes <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t No <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n