CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpcasting
Matías Cánepa
Matías Cánepa

Reputation: 5974

Typecasting vs function to convert variable type in PHP

Is there any difference between typecasting and using a function to convert a variable to some type?

(float)$var VS. floatval($var)

If there are, when one of those should be used instead of the other?

Upvotes: 72

Views: 9333

Answers (1)

deceze
deceze

Reputation: 522024

There's no difference in the resulting value, just:

  • (float) is a language feature and very quick
  • floatval() incurs the overhead of a function call (minimal, but nonetheless...)
  • floatval() as a function can be used in ways that (float) cannot, e.g. array_map('floatval', $foo)

The last point is, I believe, the main reason for floatval's existence: so each casting operation has a function equivalent, which can be useful in some circumstances.

Upvotes: 114

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