PHP is a major utility of the web, powering countless websites and applications on a daily basis. It is popular because of its flexibility, how simple it can be to learn, and its ability to easily deal with the dynamic aspects of a website. Just like a language you learn, spoken or coded, the basis of the language is understanding the building blocks. In PHP, one of those building blocks is operators.
Operators are the verbs of the PHP language. Operators are symbols, or special characters, that tell the system to perform a task involving the information you have provided (called a variable or value). There can be several types of operators in PHP, each meant to accomplish a specific task, like for example, reacting to arithmetic tasks, comparison, or string manipulation. Understanding the types of operators in PHP will ultimately create cleaner, easier, and more powerful code.
What Are Operators in PHP?
PHP operators have these symbols which will dictate their function purpose. Consequently, PHP provides many symbols specialized in a functionality or usage task category. Working with these symbols, based on their functionality makes it easier to understand how the symbols can work within other operational scenarios.What is an operator in PHP? An operator is a symbol that accepts one or more values (also known as operands) and makes an operation with them.
For example, in the operation `5 + 3`, ` + ` is the defined arithmetic operator, which will take and add the two operands together. `==` is a defined operator that will check to see if the two values are equal. It is important to understand how operators work to write PHP code that is efficient and optimized. Moving forward we'll work through the different types of operators in PHP, examples will be provided to help you understand how they work in real code execution.
Checkout: array_unique Preserve Keys in PHP: A Comprehensive Guide
How Many Types of Operators Are There in PHP?
PHP provides ten main categories of types of operators in php:
1. Arithmetic Operators in PHP
2. Assignment Operators in PHP
3. Comparison Operators in PHP
4. Increment/Decrement Operators
5. Logical Operators in PHP
6. String Operators in PHP
7. Array Operators in PHP
8. Bitwise Operators in PHP
9. Conditional (Ternary) Operator
10. Null Coalescing Operator
Let’s dive into each type with explanations and operators in php with examples. We will explore the different types of operators in php with examples.
1. Arithmetic Operators in PHP
In PHP, arithmetic operators are used for the basic mathematical operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. They are considered very basic yet essential functions in programming, to facilitate numerical calculations. Arithmetic operators play a critical role whenever you need to perform mathematical operations; from creating simple calculators to processing information the user inputs to executing intricate math logic. As arithmetic operations are fundamental to all programming languages, PHP also provides a set of operators to work with.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
+ |
Addition |
$a + $b |
- |
Subtraction |
$a - $b |
* |
Multiplication |
$a * $b |
/ |
Division |
$a / $b |
% |
Modulus (Remainder) |
$a % $b |
** |
Exponentiation |
$a ** $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = 10;
$b = 5;
echo $a + $b; // Output: 15
```
|
These arithmetic operators in php work primarily with numeric data types in php. Understanding data types php is important when using these types of operators in php.
2. Assignment Operators in PHP
In PHP, assignment operators are responsible for assigning values to variables. They are an integral aspect of programming, allowing developers to store, change, and manipulate data in a swift and efficient way. Without assignment operators, it would be impossible to do dynamic programming with variables - thus, assignment operators are extremely important within the types of operators in PHP. The most common assignment operator in PHP is the `=` operator which simply assigns a value to the variable.
However, PHP also comes with a variety of shorthand assignment operators, which occur the shorthand operation as shorthand assignment. The shorthand assignment operators allow you to write cleaner code, and reduce extraneous lines of code while being read in-efficiently. More simply, instead of writing `$x = $x 10;`, you'll instead simply write `$x = 10;`. Not only is the efficiency gained from shorthand operators important, the hindrances to readability and complexity that accompany using full assignment instead of shorthand operators are difficult to convey in long equations.
Also like all aspects of assignment operators in PHP, you want to lean / toward using shorthand operators when seeking code readability or reusability.
| Operator |
Example |
Equivalent To |
| = |
$a = $b |
Assigns value of $b to $a |
| += |
$a += $b |
$a = $a + $b |
| -= |
$a -= $b |
$a = $a - $b |
| *= |
$a *= $b |
$a = $a * $b |
| /= |
$a /= $b |
$a = $a / $b |
| %= |
$a %= $b |
$a = $a % $b |
| .= |
$a .= $b |
$a = $a . $b (String Concatenation) |
Example:
|
```php
$a = 10;
$a += 5;
echo $a; // Output: 15
```
|
The `.=` operator is one of the string operators in php and is used for string concatenation in php.
3. Comparison Operators in PHP
The comparison operator is used in PHP to assess the relationship of two values being compared. The comparison operator evaluates and returns a boolean value, i.e., either `true` or `false`, and is therefore vital to controlling a program's flow, mainly in conditional statements (if-else statements and switch-case statements). For example, for user authentication, the primary objective would be to identify if a user is allowed access - therefore checking if the input password matches the stored password would incorporate a comparison operator, e.g. `==` (equal to) or `===` (identical).
For eCommerce websites, a comparison operator is inevitable when determining if a user's cart reaches a set total for a discount.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| == |
Equal |
$a == $b |
| === |
Identical (equal and same type) |
$a === $b |
| != or <> |
Not equal |
$a != $b |
| !== |
Not identical |
$a !== $b |
| > |
Greater than |
$a > $b |
| < |
Less than |
$a < $b |
| >= |
Greater than or equal to |
$a >= $b |
| <= |
Less than or equal to |
$a <= $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = 10;
$b = "10";
var_dump($a == $b); // Output: true
var_dump($a === $b); // Output: false (because one is an integer, the other is a string)
```
|
What is the `===` operator in PHP? The `===` operator in PHP is the identical operator. It checks if two operands are equal in value and of the same data type in php.
4. Increment/Decrement Operators
In PHP, increment and decrement operators are fundamental to increasing or decreasing the value of a variable by one. Rather than manually adding or subtracting - i.e., using a + or - operator - these operators provide a shorthand way to mutate numbers rapidly. These operators are useful in situations when repeatedly updating values dynamically is desired, such as loops, counters, or iterative processes.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| ++$a |
Pre-increment |
Increments $a before using it |
| $a++ |
Post-increment |
Increments $a after using it |
| --$a |
Pre-decrement |
Decrements $a before using it |
| $a-- |
Post-decrement |
Decrements $a after using it |
Example:
|
```php
$a = 5;
echo ++$a; // Output: 6
```
|
5. Logical Operators in PHP
Logical operators have an essential function in decision making because they allow for the combination of multiple conditions or altering boolean expressions. Logical operators are prevalent in statements like if-else statements or loops, and in more complicated logical operations for instructing a program when to execute.
In PHP, logical operators only work with boolean values (either true or false). Because they help create more accurate conditions, they allow a developer to write cleaner, more efficient code, when handling multiple conditions.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| && |
AND |
$a && $b |
| || |
OR |
$a || $b |
| ! |
NOT |
!$a |
| and |
AND (low precedence) |
$a and $b |
| or |
OR (low precedence) |
$a or $b |
| xor |
XOR (exclusive or) |
$a xor $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = true;
$b = false;
var_dump($a && $b); // Output: false
```
|
These php and or operators help in creating complex conditions.
6. String Operators in PHP
String operators in PHP are specifically designed to handle and manipulate text data efficiently. Since working with strings is a fundamental aspect of web development whether for handling user input, processing database queries, or displaying dynamic content, understanding how string operators work is essential. These operators allow developers to concatenate (join) strings and assign values efficiently, making them a key part of the types of operators in PHP.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| . |
Concatenation |
$a . $b |
| .= |
Concatenation Assignment |
$a .= $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = "Hello";
$b = " World!";
echo $a . $b; // Output: Hello World!
```
|
The `.` operator is used for string concatenation in php. Which of the following is used for concatenation in php? The `.` operator. This is a fundamental string operator in php.
7. Array Operators in PHP
Arrays are an important data structure in PHP that enables developers to efficiently maintain and work with multiple values. PHP has specific array operators to compare and needlessly manipulate arrays for us. These operators assist in working with more complicated data structures, as they serve as operators for multiple types in PHP.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| + |
Union |
$a + $b |
| == |
Equality |
$a == $b |
| === |
Identity |
$a === $b |
| != |
Inequality |
$a != $b |
| !== |
Non-identity |
$a !== $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = array("a" => "apple", "b" => "banana");
$b = array("c" => "cherry", "d" => "date");
print_r($a + $b);
```
|
8. Bitwise Operators in PHP
Bitwise operators represent a specific category of operators in PHP and are particularly useful for binary flags or system-level tasks. Understanding Bitwise Operators Every number in PHP has a binary representation. Bitwise operators allow modification and/or comparison of bits directly, which is sometimes more efficient than using standard arithmetic or logical operations.
| Operator |
Description |
Example |
| & |
AND |
$a & $b |
| | |
OR |
$a | $b |
| ^ |
XOR |
$a ^ $b |
| ~ |
NOT |
~$a |
| << |
Left Shift |
$a << $b |
| >> |
Right Shift |
$a >> $b |
Example:
|
```php
$a = 5; // 0101 in binary
$b = 1;
echo $a << $b; // Output: 10
```
|
These php binary operators manipulate the binary representation of numbers.
Conclusion
To write clean, efficient and functional code as a PHP developer, you must learn the types of operators that PHP supports. In this comprehensive guide, we covered almost every basic type of operator in PHP (and included the example code) including arithmetic operators in PHP, assignment operators in PHP, comparison operators in PHP, logical operators, string operators in PHP, array operators in PHP, and bitwise operators in PHP. These operators will assist you with operating on data, doing calculations and directing the control of your PHP applications very efficiently while writing clean code.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What is operator usage in PHP?
PHP operators are characters that take action on variables and values. They're necessary for composing logical, functional code managing everything from mathematical calculations to string manipulation and condition checking.
What are PHP string operators?
PHP provides two string operators: . to concatenate strings .= to add one string to another variable.
What are the primary types of PHP?
Although PHP is one language, you may hear people use terms such as Core PHP, PHP with frameworks (such as Laravel or Symfony), and PHP for CMS platforms (such as WordPress). These are simply different methods PHP is used in actual development.
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