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

The "==" operator in PHP checks for equality between two variables, but it does not consider the data types of the variables. On the other hand, the "===" operator checks for both equality and data type, ensuring that both the value and type of the variables are the same. It is recommended to use "===" when you want to ensure strict equality, including data type, while "==" can be used when data type matching is not necessary. 

// Example using the "==" operator
$a = 5;
$b = '5';

if ($a == $b) {
    echo "Equal";
} else {
    echo "Not Equal";
}

// Example using the "===" operator
if ($a === $b) {
    echo "Strictly Equal";
} else {
    echo "Not Strictly Equal";
}

Keywords

PHP comparison operators == === type coercion

Related Questions