? PHP Comparison Operators

? Quick Overview

PHP comparison operators are used to compare two values. They always return a boolean result (true or false) except the spaceship operator, which returns numeric comparison results.

? Key Concepts

Value comparison vs type comparison
Boolean results from comparisons
Strict vs loose checking
Sorting using comparison results

? Syntax & Theory

== compares values only
=== compares both value and data type
!= or <> checks inequality
!== checks inequality with type
<=> returns -1, 0, or 1

? Code Example

? View Code Example

// Comparing values and data types in PHP
<?php
$a = 10;
$b = "10";
$c = 20;

var_dump($a == $b);
var_dump($a === $b);
var_dump($a != $c);
var_dump($a < $c);
var_dump($a >= 10);
var_dump($a <=> $c);
?>

? Live Output / Explanation

true for equal values, false when type differs, and -1 when the left value is smaller using the spaceship operator.

? Interactive Logic Example

? View Interactive Logic

// JavaScript-style logic explaining PHP comparison flow
let x = 5;
let y = "5";
console.log(x == y);
console.log(x === y);

⚡ Interactive Playground

Test how PHP handles different types!

Value A

Value B

Loose (==)

Strict (===)

Spaceship (<=>)

? Use Cases

Validating user input
Conditional decision making
Sorting arrays
Authentication logic

✅ Tips & Best Practices

Prefer === for safe comparisons
Use var_dump() for debugging
Apply spaceship operator in custom sorting

? Try It Yourself

Create a compare.php file
Compare integers, strings, and booleans
Observe differences between == and ===