How does PHP handle constant values compared to string values in if-else statements?

When comparing constant values in PHP, it is important to use the identity operator (===) instead of the equality operator (==) to ensure strict type checking. This is because constants are treated as strings by default, so using the equality operator may lead to unexpected results. By using the identity operator, PHP will check both the value and the type of the constant, ensuring accurate comparisons.

define('STATUS_ACTIVE', 1);

$status = 1;

if ($status === STATUS_ACTIVE) {
    echo "Status is active";
} else {
    echo "Status is not active";
}