In what scenarios do you prefer using null as a return value over false in PHP functions?

When a function needs to indicate the absence of a value or the failure of an operation, it is preferable to use null as a return value over false in PHP. This is because null explicitly represents the absence of a value, while false could be interpreted as a valid boolean value. Using null can help differentiate between a function that returns a valid value and one that does not. Additionally, using null allows for more flexibility in handling the return value, as it can be checked using strict comparison (===) against null. 

function findElement($array, $element) {
    foreach ($array as $value) {
        if ($value === $element) {
            return $value;
        }
    }
    
    return null;
}

$result = findElement([1, 2, 3, 4], 5);

if ($result === null) {
    echo "Element not found.";
} else {
    echo "Element found: " . $result;
}

Keywords

PHP functions return value null false

Related Questions