Alaa Amer

Lesson 5: PHP Data Types

When writing any PHP program, you’ll deal with different types of data. Each data type serves a specific purpose and helps structure your code better. In this article, we’ll explore the basic PHP data types with practical examples.

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1. String

Strings are sequences of characters. You can create a string in PHP using single or double quotes.

$name = "Alaa"; 
$message = 'Welcome!';

You can concatenate strings using the dot operator:

$fullMessage = $message . " " . $name;

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2. Integer

Integers represent whole numbers without decimals.

$age = 30; 
$year = 2025;

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3. Float (or Double)

This data type is used for numbers with decimal points.

$price = 19.99; 
$rating = 4.8;

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4. Boolean

Boolean values are either true or false. They're commonly used in conditions.

$is_logged_in = true; 
$is_admin = false;

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5. Array

Arrays allow you to store multiple values in a single variable.

$colors = ["Red", "Green", "Blue"];

You can access any element using its index:

echo $colors[1]; // Output: Green

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6. Object

Objects are used in object-oriented programming. They are instances of classes.

class Person { public $name; } 
$person = new Person(); 
$person->name = "Alaa";

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7. Null

A variable with the value null has no value assigned.

$job = null;

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Summary

PHP supports a wide range of data types to meet different programming needs. A solid understanding of these types will help you write clean, well-organized code. Each type has a use case, and knowing when to use each one improves your development quality.

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