Mastering PHP Basics: Syntax and Data Types

Understanding the core syntax and data types is essential for building PHP applications. Let’s dive in!

PHP Basic Syntax

  • PHP tags: Every PHP script starts with <?php and ends with ?>.
  • Comments: Use // for single-line comments and /* */ for multi-line comments.
  • Case sensitivity: PHP is case-sensitive for variables and functions.
  • Whitespace: PHP ignores extra whitespace (spaces, tabs, newlines) for readability.

PHP Data Types

PHP supports several data types to store different kinds of information:

  • Integer: Represents whole numbers (e.g., 42, -10).
$age = 30;
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  • Float (or double): Represents numbers with decimal points (e.g., 3.14, -2.5).
$pi = 3.14159;
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  • String: Represents text enclosed in single or double quotes (e.g., “Hello”, ‘world’).
$greeting = "Hello, world!";
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  • Boolean: Represents logical values, either true or false.
$is_active = true;
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  • Array: Stores multiple values in a single variable (we’ll cover arrays in detail later).
  • Object: Represents instances of classes (we’ll explore objects in object-oriented PHP).
  • NULL: Represents a variable with no value.
$empty_value = null;
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Type Casting

You can convert one data type to another using type casting:

$number = 10;
$string = (string)$number; // Converts $number to a string "10"
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By grasping these fundamental concepts, you’ll be able to effectively manipulate data within your PHP scripts. In the next article, we’ll explore variables, constants, and operators in more detail.

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