In PHP, working with numeric data types is a common task, and sometimes you might need to convert an integer (int) to a double (float). In this article, we will explore various approaches to achieve this conversion in PHP, covering different methods based on the PHP version and use cases.
Table of Content
Method 1: Using Type Casting
One basic way to convert an integer to a double is by using type casting. PHP allows you to explicitly cast a variable to a different type using the (float) or (double) cast.
<?php // Original integer value $intValue = 42;
// Convert to double using type casting $doubleValue = (float) $intValue ;
// Display the result echo "Integer: $intValue, Double: $doubleValue" ;
?> |
Integer: 42, Double: 42
Method 2: Using floatval() Function
The floatval() function is designed to explicitly convert a variable to a float. It is a concise and readable alternative to type casting.
<?php // Original integer value $intValue = 42;
// Convert to double using floatval() function $doubleValue = floatval ( $intValue );
// Display the result echo "Integer: $intValue, Double: $doubleValue" ;
?> |
Integer: 42, Double: 42
Method 3: Implicit Conversion
In PHP, operations involving integers and floating-point numbers often result in implicit conversion. When an integer is used in a context where a floating-point number is expected, PHP automatically performs the conversion.
<?php // Original integer value $intValue = 42;
// Implicit conversion to double $doubleValue = $intValue + 0.0;
// Display the result echo "Integer: $intValue, Double: $doubleValue" ;
?> |
Integer: 42, Double: 42
Method 4: Using settype() Function
The settype() function in PHP allows you to set the type of a variable explicitly. While less common, it is another approach to convert an integer to a double.
<?php // Original integer value $intValue = 42;
// Convert to double using // settype() function settype( $intValue , 'float' );
// Display the result echo "Double: $intValue" ;
?> |
Double: 42