What are some common methods in PHP to format numerical inputs before saving them to a database?

When saving numerical inputs to a database in PHP, it's important to ensure that the data is properly formatted to prevent errors and maintain consistency. Common methods to format numerical inputs include using number_format() to format numbers with specific decimal places, using intval() or floatval() to convert strings to integers or floats, and using sprintf() to format numbers with specific precision.

// Example using number_format() to format a number with 2 decimal places
$number = 1234.5678;
$formatted_number = number_format($number, 2);

// Example using intval() to convert a string to an integer
$string_number = "12345";
$integer_number = intval($string_number);

// Example using sprintf() to format a number with specific precision
$number = 1234.5678;
$formatted_number = sprintf("%.2f", $number);