How can PHP developers handle cases where array_search returns false or 0?

When array_search returns false or 0, it can be misleading as both indicate different scenarios. To handle this, PHP developers can use strict comparison (===) to differentiate between the two cases. If array_search returns false, it means the value is not found in the array, while if it returns 0, it means the value is found at the first index. By using strict comparison, developers can accurately check the return value of array_search.

$array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
$searchValue = 1;

$result = array_search($searchValue, $array);

if ($result === false) {
    echo "Value not found in the array";
} elseif ($result === 0) {
    echo "Value found at index 0";
} else {
    echo "Value found at index " . $result;
}