What is the difference between adding numbers as strings versus as actual numbers in PHP?

When adding numbers as strings in PHP, the values are concatenated together as strings rather than being added mathematically. This can lead to unexpected results, such as "2" + "3" resulting in "23" instead of 5. To add numbers as actual numbers in PHP, you need to ensure that the values are treated as integers or floats before performing the addition operation.

// Adding numbers as strings
$num1 = "2";
$num2 = "3";
$result = $num1 + $num2; // $result will be "23"

// Adding numbers as actual numbers
$num1 = 2;
$num2 = 3;
$result = $num1 + $num2; // $result will be 5