Checking if a variable is an integer in PHP

Question 1

I have the following code

    $page = $_GET['p'];

    if($page == "")
    {
        $page = 1;
    }
    if(is_int($page) == false)
    {
        setcookie("error", "Invalid page.", time()+3600);
        header("location:somethingwentwrong.php");
        die();
    }
    //else continue with code

which I am going to use for looking at different "pages" of a database (results 1-10, 11-20, etc). I can't seem to get the is_int() function to work correctly, however. Putting "1" into the url (noobs.php?p=1) gives me the invalid page error, as well as something like "asdf".

Question 2

Using is_numeric() for checking if a variable is an integer is a bad idea. This function will return TRUE for 3.14 for example. It's not the expected behavior.

To do this correctly, you can use one of these options:

Considering this variables array :

$variables = [
    "TEST 0" => 0,
    "TEST 1" => 42,
    "TEST 2" => 4.2,
    "TEST 3" => .42,
    "TEST 4" => 42.,
    "TEST 5" => "42",
    "TEST 6" => "a42",
    "TEST 7" => "42a",
    "TEST 8" => 0x24,
    "TEST 9" => 1337e0
];

The first option (FILTER_VALIDATE_INT way) :

# Check if your variable is an integer
if ( filter_var($variable, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT) === false ) {
  echo "Your variable is not an integer";
}

Output :

TEST 0 : 0 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 1 : 42 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 2 : 4.2 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 3 : 0.42 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 4 : 42 (type:double) is an integer ?
TEST 5 : 42 (type:string) is an integer ?
TEST 6 : a42 (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 7 : 42a (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 8 : 36 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 9 : 1337 (type:double) is an integer ?

The second option (CASTING COMPARISON way) :

# Check if your variable is an integer
if ( strval($variable) !== strval(intval($variable)) ) {
  echo "Your variable is not an integer";
}

Output :

TEST 0 : 0 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 1 : 42 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 2 : 4.2 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 3 : 0.42 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 4 : 42 (type:double) is an integer ?
TEST 5 : 42 (type:string) is an integer ?
TEST 6 : a42 (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 7 : 42a (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 8 : 36 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 9 : 1337 (type:double) is an integer ?

The third option (CTYPE_DIGIT way) :

# Check if your variable is an integer
if ( ! ctype_digit(strval($variable)) ) {
  echo "Your variable is not an integer";
}

Output :

TEST 0 : 0 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 1 : 42 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 2 : 4.2 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 3 : 0.42 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 4 : 42 (type:double) is an integer ?
TEST 5 : 42 (type:string) is an integer ?
TEST 6 : a42 (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 7 : 42a (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 8 : 36 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 9 : 1337 (type:double) is an integer ?

The fourth option (REGEX way) :

# Check if your variable is an integer
if ( ! preg_match('/^d+$/', $variable) ) {
  echo "Your variable is not an integer";
}

Output :

TEST 0 : 0 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 1 : 42 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 2 : 4.2 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 3 : 0.42 (type:double) is not an integer ?
TEST 4 : 42 (type:double) is an integer ?
TEST 5 : 42 (type:string) is an integer ?
TEST 6 : a42 (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 7 : 42a (type:string) is not an integer ?
TEST 8 : 36 (type:integer) is an integer ?
TEST 9 : 1337 (type:double) is an integer ?

Question 3

Here's what worked best for me when trying to script this (in case anyone else comes across this like I did):

$ pecl -d php_suffix=5.6 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

$ pecl -d php_suffix=7.0 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

$ pecl -d php_suffix=7.1 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

The -d php_suffix=<version> piece allows you to set config values at run time vs pre-setting them with pecl config-set. The uninstall -r bit does not actually uninstall it (from the docs):

vagrant@homestead:~$ pecl help uninstall
pecl uninstall [options] [channel/]<package> ...
Uninstalls one or more PEAR packages.  More than one package may be
specified at once.  Prefix with channel name to uninstall from a
channel not in your default channel (pecl.php.net)

Options:
  ...
  -r, --register-only
        do not remove files, only register the packages as not installed
  ...

The uninstall line is necessary otherwise installing it will remove any previously installed version, even if it was for a different PHP version (ex: Installing an extension for PHP 7.0 would remove the 5.6 version if the package was still registered as installed).

Question 4

If you need to do this, do

isinstance(<var>, int)

unless you are in Python 2.x in which case you want

isinstance(<var>, (int, long))

Do not use type. It is almost never the right answer in Python, since it blocks all the flexibility of polymorphism. For instance, if you subclass int, your new class should register as an int, which type will not do:

class Spam(int): pass
x = Spam(0)
type(x) == int # False
isinstance(x, int) # True

This adheres to Python's strong polymorphism: you should allow any object that behaves like an int, instead of mandating that it be one.

BUT

The classical Python mentality, though, is that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. In other words, don't check whether x is an integer; assume that it is and catch the exception results if it isn't:

try:
    x += 1
except TypeError:
    ...

This mentality is slowly being overtaken by the use of abstract base classes, which let you register exactly what properties your object should have (adding? multiplying? doubling?) by making it inherit from a specially-constructed class. That would be the best solution, since it will permit exactly those objects with the necessary and sufficient attributes, but you will have to read the docs on how to use it.

Question 5

You can use the is_a? method

>> 1.is_a? Integer
=> true
>> "dadadad@asdasd.net".is_a? Integer
=> false
>> nil.is_a? Integer
=> false

Question 6

Never used any of those, but they look interesting..

Take a look at Gearman as well.. more overhead in systems like these but you get other cool stuff :) Guess it depends on your needs ..

Checking if a variable is an integer in PHP

Answers

The first option (FILTER_VALIDATE_INT way) :

The second option (CASTING COMPARISON way) :

The third option (CTYPE_DIGIT way) :

The fourth option (REGEX way) :

BUT

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