note 13122 deleted from language.types by jimw

If you want to find out if a number is a number and not a string: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes you need to check, if the user has been really put in a number (e.g. in a form with very strict validity checks or high security applications). I saw checks like: if ( is_int($bla) ) ... This is WRONG, cause the user-input is ALWAYS handled as string. A better way is: if ( $bla > 0 ) ... This is also WRONG ins some cases, cause the user can send a string like "1askjhqwekljhg" (yes, the integer value of this string is > 0!). I found a better and more legal way; it is if ( (int)$bla != (string)$bla ) ... This works for PHP3 well, but not any more for PHP4. We need to extend it: if ( (string)(int)$bla != (string)$bla ) ... Confusing, but this works correct for all cases. A aftercoming $bla=(int)$bla; or better settype($bla,'int'); is in this context correct and cannot be misunderstood.