TypesPHP ManualPrevNextChapter 6. TypesTable of ContentsIntegersFloating point numbersStringsArraysObjectsType juggling PHP supports the following types: array floating-point numbers integer object string The type of a variable is usually not set by the programmer; rather, it is decided at runtime by PHP depending on the context in which that variable is used. If you would like to force a variable to be converted to a certain type, you may either cast the variable or use the settype() function on it. Note that a variable may behave in different manners in certain situations, depending on what type it is at the time. For more information, see the section on Type Juggling. Integers Integers can be specified using any of the following syntaxes: 1  2 $a = 1234; # decimal number 3 $a = -123; # a negative number 4 $a = 0123; # octal number (equivalent to 83 decimal) 5 $a = 0x12; # hexadecimal number (equivalent to 18 decimal) 6  PrevHomeNextCommentsUpFloating point numbers