What is the difference between == and === operators in PHP and when should each be used?

The == operator in PHP checks for equality of values, while the === operator checks for equality of both values and data types. The == operator performs type coercion, meaning it will attempt to convert the operands to the same type before comparison. The === operator, on the other hand, strictly checks both the values and data types without any type conversion. It is generally recommended to use the === operator for more precise and predictable comparisons. 

// Example of using the === operator
$num1 = 5;
$num2 = '5';

if ($num1 === $num2) {
    echo 'Equal';
} else {
    echo 'Not equal';
}

Keywords

PHP operators == === comparison

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