Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:128568
Precedence: list
MIME-Version: 1.0
References: <CAMU7irKj_SyyM2kVz4kEqjDK+ucc8uRP1amJgASTFRM+V+Ld3w@mail.gmail.com>
 <f419f96e3cf4ce194a8d59349a625817@bastelstu.be> <a21d46fa-dda7-4c1b-b042-03659a712b26@app.fastmail.com>
 <642a1575-a855-442a-aa3c-3fa123e793d7@bastelstu.be> <ca483cad-08a4-48e5-8a0e-5a410d35de12@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <ca483cad-08a4-48e5-8a0e-5a410d35de12@app.fastmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:38:59 +0200
Message-ID: <CAOWwgpkP3fmEL9qCpXVJWXFP4pi2AHVJUaU+5V-QMfg7tmba3A@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Add "is_representable_as_float()" and
 "is_representable_as_int()" functions
To: Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com>
Cc: php internals <internals@lists.php.net>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000201003063d4aaa14"
From: nicolas.grekas+php@gmail.com (Nicolas Grekas)

--000000000000201003063d4aaa14
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Le mar. 26 ao=C3=BBt 2025 =C3=A0 21:38, Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.=
com> a
=C3=A9crit :

> On Tue, Aug 26, 2025, at 1:36 PM, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > On 8/26/25 16:48, Larry Garfield wrote:
> >> I have multiple times just recently had need of "I have a numeric
> string, should I cast it to an int or a float?", for which an
> is_representable_as_int() function (or similar) would be quite helpful, a=
nd
> neater than the messy solution I usually use.
> >
> > It would've been nice to know what that use-case is, rather than just
> > knowing that you had that use-case.
> >
> > I'm having a hard time thinking of something where I don't a-priori kno=
w
> > what type I expect to get and would need to inspect the value to make a
> > decision.
> >
> > I see how having a function that safely coerces a string into an int,
> > returning null if coercion fails, basically intval() with better error
> > handling and taking only `string`s, could be useful, but that's not wha=
t
> > is being asked here.
> >
> > Best regards
> > Tim D=C3=BCsterhus
>
> When doing generic serialization, the input is often always-strings (eg,
> environment variables, HTTP Query parameters, etc.)  When doing generic
> code (not type generics, but "works on anything" kind of generic), I ofte=
n
> have to resort to this:
>
> https://github.com/Crell/EnvMapper/blob/master/src/EnvMapper.php#L88
>
> Which gets the job done, but feels ugly to me.
>
> Even if I know what the target type is, I still need to ask the question
> "so does this string match the target type?"
>
>
> https://github.com/Crell/Carica/blob/master/src/Middleware/NormalizeArgum=
entTypesMiddleware.php#L73
>
> "I have a string, the parameter wants an int, is that even possible?"
> Being able to replace that floor() nonsense with is_integerable() (by
> whatever name) would make my life a lot easier.
>
> For float, is_numeric() is already sufficient for my purposes.  I just
> need to be able to differentiate between "3" and "3.14" to cast to the
> correct type.
>
> --Larry Garfield
>


Why not just 0 + $theValue? Then the engine will decide. No?

>

--000000000000201003063d4aaa14
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"auto"><div><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_contai=
ner"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">Le mar. 26 ao=C3=BBt 2025 =C3=A0=
 21:38, Larry Garfield &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:larry@garfieldtech.com">larry@=
garfieldtech.com</a>&gt; a =C3=A9crit=C2=A0:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"=
gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-=
left:1ex">On Tue, Aug 26, 2025, at 1:36 PM, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:<br>
&gt; Hi<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; On 8/26/25 16:48, Larry Garfield wrote:<br>
&gt;&gt; I have multiple times just recently had need of &quot;I have a num=
eric string, should I cast it to an int or a float?&quot;, for which an is_=
representable_as_int() function (or similar) would be quite helpful, and ne=
ater than the messy solution I usually use.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; It would&#39;ve been nice to know what that use-case is, rather than j=
ust <br>
&gt; knowing that you had that use-case.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; I&#39;m having a hard time thinking of something where I don&#39;t a-p=
riori know <br>
&gt; what type I expect to get and would need to inspect the value to make =
a <br>
&gt; decision.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; I see how having a function that safely coerces a string into an int, =
<br>
&gt; returning null if coercion fails, basically intval() with better error=
 <br>
&gt; handling and taking only `string`s, could be useful, but that&#39;s no=
t what <br>
&gt; is being asked here.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Best regards<br>
&gt; Tim D=C3=BCsterhus<br>
<br>
When doing generic serialization, the input is often always-strings (eg, en=
vironment variables, HTTP Query parameters, etc.)=C2=A0 When doing generic =
code (not type generics, but &quot;works on anything&quot; kind of generic)=
, I often have to resort to this:<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://github.com/Crell/EnvMapper/blob/master/src/EnvMapper.php=
#L88" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/Cr=
ell/EnvMapper/blob/master/src/EnvMapper.php#L88</a><br>
<br>
Which gets the job done, but feels ugly to me.<br>
<br>
Even if I know what the target type is, I still need to ask the question &q=
uot;so does this string match the target type?&quot;=C2=A0 <br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://github.com/Crell/Carica/blob/master/src/Middleware/Norma=
lizeArgumentTypesMiddleware.php#L73" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=
=3D"_blank">https://github.com/Crell/Carica/blob/master/src/Middleware/Norm=
alizeArgumentTypesMiddleware.php#L73</a><br>
<br>
&quot;I have a string, the parameter wants an int, is that even possible?&q=
uot;=C2=A0 Being able to replace that floor() nonsense with is_integerable(=
) (by whatever name) would make my life a lot easier.<br>
<br>
For float, is_numeric() is already sufficient for my purposes.=C2=A0 I just=
 need to be able to differentiate between &quot;3&quot; and &quot;3.14&quot=
; to cast to the correct type.<br>
<br>
--Larry Garfield<br></blockquote></div></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><d=
iv dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Why not just 0 + $theValue? The=
n the engine will decide. No?</div><div dir=3D"auto"><div class=3D"gmail_qu=
ote gmail_quote_container"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margi=
n:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
</blockquote></div></div></div>

--000000000000201003063d4aaa14--