What are some best practices for handling different data types, such as numbers, in PHP scripts to avoid errors?

When handling different data types, such as numbers, in PHP scripts, it is important to validate and sanitize user input to avoid errors. One best practice is to use type checking functions like is_numeric() to ensure that the data being processed is of the expected type. Additionally, casting variables to the correct type can help prevent unexpected behaviors.

// Example of using is_numeric() to validate a number input
$number = $_POST['number'];

if (is_numeric($number)) {
    // Process the number
    $result = $number * 2;
    echo "Result: " . $result;
} else {
    // Handle invalid input
    echo "Invalid input. Please enter a valid number.";
}