Last updated: Sun, 25 Nov 2007

PHP type comparison tables

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.

**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 = 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`

Note: PHP 3.0 note The string value "0" was considered non-empty in PHP 3, this behavior changed in PHP 4 where it's now seen as empty.

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Last updated: Sun, 25 Nov 2007

add a note User Contributed Notes
PHP type comparison tables

rich
08-May-2008 07:20


The note about object comparison should be corrected. Cloning objects does not imply instances are the same, so === would return FALSE. 



Compare object

<?php

$o = new stdClass();

$o->we = 12;



$o2 = new stdClass();

$o2->we = 12;



$o3 = clone $o2;

var_dump($o == $o2); //true

var_dump($o === $o2); //false

var_dump($o3 === $o2); //false

?>

gernovich at ya dot ru
08-May-2008 12:48


Universal comparison test.



<?php



$tests = array();

$tests['==']  = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a==$b;');

$tests['==='] = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a===$b;');

$tests['!='] = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a!=$b;');

$tests['<>'] = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a<>$b;');

$tests['!=='] = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a!==$b;');

$tests['<']   = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a<$b;');

$tests['>']   = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a>$b;');

$tests['<=']  = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a<=$b;');

$tests['>=']  = create_function('$a, $b', 'return $a>=$b;');



$comparison = array();

$comparison['TRUE'] = true;

$comparison['FALSE'] = false;

$comparison['1'] = 1;

$comparison['0'] = 0;

$comparison['-1'] = -1;

$comparison['3,14'] = pi();

$comparison['"1"'] = '1';

$comparison['"0"'] = '0';

$comparison['"-1"'] = '-1';

$comparison['NULL'] = null;

$comparison['array()'] = array();

$comparison['"php"'] = 'php';

        

print '<h1>PHP version '.PHP_VERSION.' type comparison tables</h1>';

        

foreach ($tests as $test=>$function) {

    print "<h2>Comparisons with $test</h2>";

    print "<table border='1'>";

    print "<tr>";

    print "<th>&nbsp;</th>";

    foreach (array_keys($comparison) as $name) {

        print "<th>$name</th>";

    }

    print "</tr>";

    foreach ($comparison as $arg_1_name => $arg_1_value) {

        print '<tr>';

        print "<th>$arg_1_name</th>";

        foreach ($comparison as $arg_2_value) {

            print '<td>';

            print $function($arg_1_value, $arg_2_value)==true ?

                        '<span style="color:#00F;">TRUE</span>' : '<span style="color:#F00;">FALSE</span>';

            print '</td>';

        }

        print "</tr>";

    }

    print "</table>";

}



?>

info at shaelf dot ru
06-Jan-2008 01:51


Compare object

<?php

$o = new stdClass();

$o->we = 12;



$o2 = new stdClass();

$o2->we = 12;



$o3 = clone $o2;

var_dump($o == $o2); //true

var_dump($o === $o2); //false

var_dump($o3 === $o2); //true

?>

frank
14-Aug-2007 03:06


A comparison table for <=,<,=>,> would be nice...

Following are TRUE (tested PHP4&5):

NULL <= -1

NULL <= 0

NULL <= 1

!(NULL >= -1)

NULL >= 0

!(NULL >= 1)

That was a surprise for me (and it is not like SQL, I would like to have the option to have SQL semantics with NULL...).

15-Mar-2007 03:06


Re: omit's comment



The note omit quotes is referring to the VALUE returned, not its name. If you put 42 into a text field, the corresponding array value will be the string "42". The note makes no comment on the array's keys.

omit
23-Aug-2006 11:32


the manual said "HTML Forms do not pass integers, floats, or booleans; they pass strings"



while this is true, php will sometimes change the type to either type array, or possibly type integer(no, not a numeric string) if it was used as an array key. php seems to do this when it parses the request data into the predefined variable arrays.



example:



<input type="text" name="foo[5]">

<input type="text" name="foo[7]">



now obviously the browser will send those names as a string. but php will change thier type.



<?php



// $_POST['foo'] is an array

var_dump($_POST['foo']);



foreach ($_POST['foo'] as $key => $val) {

    // the keys 5 and 7 will be type integer

    var_dump($key);

}



?>



because of this, its also a good idea to check the types of your variables.

Jan
29-Dec-2005 11:23


Note that php comparison is not transitive:



"php" == 0 => true

0 == null => true

null == "php" => false

php [at] barryhunter [.] co [.] uk
07-Sep-2005 12:44


In case it helps someone, here's a table to compare different Variable tests (created before I found this page!)



http://www.deformedweb.co.uk/php_variable_tests.php

jerryschwartz at comfortable dot com
26-Jul-2005 01:04


In some languages, a boolean is promoted to an integer (with a value of 1 or -1, typically) if used in an expression with an integer. I found that PHP has it both ways:



If you add a boolean with a value of true to an integer with a value of 3, the result will be 4 (because the boolean is cast as an integer).



On the other hand, if you test a boolean with a value of true for equality with an integer with a value of three, the result will be true (because the integer is cast as a boolean).



Surprisingly, at first glance, if you use either < or > as the comparison operator the result is always false (again, because the integer as cast as a boolean, and true is neither greater nor less than true).

tom
17-Jun-2005 02:27


<?php


if (strlen($_POST['var']) > 0) {


    // form value is ok


}


?>





When working with HTML forms this a good way to:





(A) let "0" post values through like select or radio values that correspond to array keys or checkbox booleans that would return FALSE with empty(), and;


(B) screen out $x = "" values, that would return TRUE with isset()!





Because HTML forms post values as strings, this is a good way to test variables!





[[Editor Note: This will create a PHP Error of level E_NOTICE if the checked variable (in this case $_POST['var']) is undefined. It may be used after (in conjuection with) isset() to prevent this.]]

aidan at php dot net
24-Jan-2005 07:00


The way PHP handles comparisons when multiple types are concerned is quite confusing.



For example:

"php" == 0



This is true, because the string is casted interally to an integer. Any string (that does not start with a number), when casted to an integer, will be 0.

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Last updated: Sun, 25 Nov 2007