anyone care to explain the logic behind this output ....

THIS CODE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ php -r ' $a = array(0, 1); $b = array(1 => 0, 0 => 1); var_dump($a < $b); // true var_dump($a > $b); // true var_dump($b < $a); var_dump($b > $a); echo "\n\$a:\n"; var_dump((bool)$a, (int)$a, (string)$a, intval($a), strval($a)); echo "\n\$b:\n"; var_dump((bool)$b, (int)$b, (string)$b, intval($b), strval($b)); ' OUTPUTS (on php5.0.4): ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ bool(true) bool(true) bool(true) bool(true) $a: bool(true) int(1) string(5) "Array" $b: bool(true) int(1) string(5) "Array" WHICH MEANS THAT: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ one the one hand $a is greater than AND less than $b but on the other hand casting $a OR $b to either a boolean, integer or string results in the exact same value. ie: php -r ' $a = array(0, 1); $b = array(1 => 0, 0 => 1); var_dump( ((($a > $b) === ($b > $a)) === ((int)$a === (int)$b)) ); // WTF IT'S TRUE ' weird? I think so - but then again I'd never test that array $a is greater than array $b because this is meaningless to me (in what way is $a greater - how is this quantified, what 'rules' determine 'greatness' in this context?) PS - changing the $b array to something else (anything else as far as i can tell) causes the weirdness to not occur - which gives me the impression this could be a bug, anyone else get this impression? for instance try changing the second line of the code above to (merely switching the order or the defined array elements): $b = array(0 => 1, 1 => 0);