How can PHP functions like ctype_digit and is_numeric be utilized to validate and process data in PHP?

When working with user input in PHP, it is important to validate and process the data to ensure it meets the desired format and criteria. PHP functions like ctype_digit and is_numeric can be utilized to check if a string contains only digits, which is useful for validating numeric input. By using these functions, you can ensure that the data is in the correct format before further processing it in your application.

$data = $_POST['input_data'];

if (ctype_digit($data)) {
    // Process the numeric data
    $numeric_data = (int) $data;
    echo "Numeric data: $numeric_data";
} else {
    echo "Input data is not numeric";
}