How can data type casting be used effectively in PHP to ensure accurate arithmetic operations on variables?

To ensure accurate arithmetic operations on variables in PHP, data type casting can be used effectively. This involves explicitly converting variables to the appropriate data type before performing arithmetic operations to prevent unexpected results caused by automatic type conversions. By casting variables to the desired data type (such as integer or float) before performing arithmetic operations, you can ensure the accuracy of the calculations.

// Example of using data type casting for accurate arithmetic operations

$number1 = "10";
$number2 = 5;

// Cast $number1 to an integer for accurate addition
$result = (int)$number1 + $number2;

echo $result; // Output: 15