What is Data Type In PHP

Data types in PHP are used to store different types of data in a program. PHP supports eight primitive data types: Boolean, Integer, Float, String, Array, Object, NULL, and Resource. Each data type has its own specific purpose and uses cases.

1. Boolean:

A boolean represents two possible states, either TRUE or FALSE.

Example:

$isMarried = FALSE;
echo $isMarried;

// Output:

FALSE

2. Integer:

An integer is a whole number (not a fraction) that can be either positive or negative.

Example:

$age = 24; 
echo $age;

// Output:

24

3. Float:

A float (floating point number) is a number with a decimal point or a number in exponential form.

Example:

$pi = 3.14;
echo $pi;

// Output:

3.14

4. String:

A string is a sequence of characters, like “Hello World”.

Example:

$name = "John";
echo $name;

// Output:

John

5. Array:

An array is a special variable, which can hold more than one value at a time.

Example:

$cars = array("Ford", "Toyota", "Honda"); 

echo $cars[0];

// Output:

Ford

6. Object:

An object is a data type which stores data and information on how to process that data. Example:

class Student {
    public $name;
    public $age;
    
    public function getName() {
        return $this->name;
    }
 
    public function setName($name) {
        $this->name = $name;
    }
}

$student = new Student();
$student->setName("John");
echo $student->getName();

// Output:

John

7. NULL:

NULL is a special data type which can have only one value: NULL. Example:

$name = NULL;
echo $name;

8. Resource:

A resource is a special variable, holding a reference to an external resource.

Example:

$file = fopen("test.txt", "r");
echo $file;

// Output:

Resource id #1