What is the difference between implicit and explicit type casting in PHP?

Implicit type casting in PHP is when the data type of a variable is automatically converted to another data type by PHP without the need for explicit instructions. This can lead to unexpected behavior if not handled properly. On the other hand, explicit type casting is when the programmer explicitly converts the data type of a variable using functions like (int), (float), (string), etc. Explicit type casting is recommended for better code readability and to avoid any potential issues with data type conversions. 

// Implicit type casting
$number = "10"; // $number is a string
$sum = $number + 5; // PHP will automatically convert $number to an integer for the addition operation

// Explicit type casting
$number = "10"; // $number is a string
$number = (int)$number; // Explicitly convert $number to an integer
$sum = $number + 5; // $number is now an integer and can be safely used in arithmetic operations

Keywords

implicit type casting explicit type casting PHP data types conversion

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