How can PHP handle and process string variables like $b more effectively to avoid errors in calculations?

When working with string variables like $b in PHP, it's important to convert them to numerical values before performing calculations to avoid errors. One way to do this is by using the intval() function to convert the string to an integer. This ensures that the variable is treated as a number rather than a string, preventing unexpected results in calculations.

$b = "10";
$b = intval($b);

// Now $b can be safely used in calculations as an integer