Req #49426 [Opn->Wfx]: Logic error in boolean cast from string

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=49426&edit=1 ID: 49426 Updated by: requinix@php.net Reported by: az at kreatiefer dot de Summary: Logic error in boolean cast from string -Status: Open +Status: Wont fix Type: Feature/Change Request Package: Scripting Engine problem Operating System: * PHP Version: * Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: After seven years I think we can wontfix this. @az: String to bool conversion will not take a numeric value into account. It's straight from string to boolean and only "0" is treated as false. If you don't want two casts then you can compare to 0, as in $strTestVar != 0. https://3v4l.org/UepTW @miklcct: You aren't the only one who feels that way, but the behavior cannot be changed now because there's just too much code out there relying on "0" being false - sometimes without even knowing. It's a backwards compatibility problem. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2016-12-19 09:03:49] miklcct at gmail dot com This design in PHP is very counter-intuitive and error-prone. I think when converting from string to boolean, any string, except empty string, should be converted to true, including all of arrTestVars below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2009-08-31 17:49:29] az at kreatiefer dot de Description: ------------ When you cast a string variable to boolean type there are some cases in which the cast doesn't work properly, i think. Reproduce code: --------------- $arrTestVars = array( '0', '-0', '+0', '0.0', '0e0', '0.0e0' ); foreach($arrTestVars as $strTestVar) { var_dump( (bool)$strTestVar ); } Expected result: ---------------- // Expected Result => (bool)false, (bool)false, (bool)false, (bool)false, (bool)false, (bool)false All the tests above should be evaluated to false, because (bool)0.0 === false (bool)0e0 === false and so on. Now one has to use the workaround (bool)(int)'0.0' === false ... Actual result: -------------- // Actual Result => (bool)false, (bool)true, (bool)true, (bool)true, (bool)true, (bool)true ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=49426&edit=1