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What are Data Types in PHP

  • Data types define the kind of data a variable can hold.
  • They tell the computer how to interpret and store the information.
Common Data Types in PHP:
  • Integer: Represents whole numbers (e.g., 10, -5, 0)  
  • Float: Represents numbers with decimal points (e.g., 3.14, -2.5, 1.0)
  • String: Represents text enclosed in single (‘ ‘) or double quotes (” “) (e.g., “Hello”, ‘World’, “123”)
  • Boolean: Represents a logical value: true or false
  • Array: An ordered collection of values (e.g., array(1, 2, 3), array(“red”, “green”, “blue”))
  • Object: Represents a collection of properties and methods.
  • NULL: Represents the absence of a value.  
Importance of Data Types:
  • Correct Data Handling: Knowing the data type helps you use the appropriate operations on variables. For example, you can perform mathematical operations on numbers, but not on strings.
  • Memory Management: Different data types require different amounts of memory for storage.  
  • Error Prevention: Using the correct data types helps prevent unexpected behavior and errors in your code.  

Example:

$age = 30; // Integer
$price = 9.99; // Float
$name = "John Doe"; // String
$isStudent = true; // Boolean
$colors = array("red", "green", "blue"); // Array
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