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Comprehensive Guide to PHP Operators: Mastering Their Usage

M66 2025-07-26

Overview of PHP Operators

In PHP programming, mastering different operators is key to improving development efficiency and code quality. This article systematically introduces common PHP operators and their use cases, suitable for beginners and experienced developers alike.

Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators perform basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and modulus. These operations are commonly used in numeric calculations and logical processing.

$a = 10;
$b = 3;
echo $a + $b; // 13
echo $a - $b; // 7
echo $a * $b; // 30
echo $a / $b; // 3.333...
echo $a % $b; // 1

Assignment Operators

Assignment operators are mainly used to assign values to variables. Besides the basic "=" operator, compound assignment operators allow combining assignment with arithmetic operations.

$x = 5;
$x += 3; // equivalent to $x = $x + 3;
$x -= 2;
$x *= 4;
$x /= 2;

Comparison Operators

Comparison operators compare two variables or values and return a boolean result.

$a = 5;
$b = "5";
var_dump($a == $b);  // true
var_dump($a === $b); // false
var_dump($a != $b);  // false
var_dump($a !== $b); // true
var_dump($a > $b);   // false

Logical Operators

Logical operators are used to combine multiple conditions, often in control flow statements.

$age = 20;
$hasTicket = true;
if ($age >= 18 && $hasTicket) {
    echo "Access granted";
}

Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators are useful when working with low-level data or permission flags, operating directly on the binary representation of numbers.

$a = 5;  // 0101
$b = 3;  // 0011
echo $a & $b; // 1 (0001)
echo $a | $b; // 7 (0111)
echo $a ^ $b; // 6 (0110)
echo $a << 1; // 10 (1010)
echo $a >> 1; // 2 (0010)

Ternary Operator (Conditional Operator)

The ternary operator allows a concise syntax for conditionally returning one of two values, simplifying if-else statements.

$score = 85;
$result = ($score >= 60) ? 'Pass' : 'Fail';
echo $result;

Instantiation Operator

The new operator is used to create an instance of a class, essential in object-oriented programming.

class Car {
    public $brand = "Toyota";
}
$myCar = new Car();
echo $myCar->brand;

Operator Precedence

Understanding operator precedence helps avoid logic errors by ensuring expressions are evaluated in the intended order. Common precedence order includes:

  • Parentheses ()
  • Increment/Decrement ++ --
  • Unary plus and minus + -
  • Multiplication, Division, Modulus *, /, %
  • Addition, Subtraction + -
  • Comparison == != === !==
  • Logical NOT !
  • Logical AND &&
  • Logical OR ||

It is recommended to use parentheses in complex expressions to clarify evaluation order and avoid confusion.

Summary

Proficiency in PHP operators enhances coding efficiency and helps build stable, flexible programs. From basic arithmetic to complex logic, correctly using operators is a fundamental skill for every PHP developer.