PHP difference between int and integer

Question

Is there any difference between int and integer in PHP?

Which is the newer or more recommended use?

$a = (int)\"3 euros\";
         


        

Answer 1

This is not quite true, there is actually a difference between int and integer. Here a simple example:

//print_r('PHP version: '.phpversion().'<br />');
//PHP version: 5.5.23

$i = '1';

function testme(int $j){
  print_r ($j);
}
testme(intval($i));

This little portion of code will print an "E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR" since testme function is expecting 'int' and get 'integer' instead.

Answer 2

Quoting the manual:

Converting to integer

To explicitly convert a value to integer, use either the (int) or (integer) casts. ...

Answer 3

The difference arises when we use type hinting from php 7.0+

this is valid

function getId(): int 
{
 return $id;
}

this is not

function getId(): integer
{
 return $id;
}

the second one will expect you to return an object of a 'class integer', which will cause a strange sentence:

Uncaught TypeError: Return value of getId() must be an instance of integer, integer returned in ...

Answer 4

No.

They are the same, they both cast the value to an integer, one is just terser by four characters.

Source.