php: '0' as a string with empty()

Question

I want a 0 to be considered as an integer and a \'0\' to be considered as a string but empty() considers the \'0\' as a string in the example below,

$var = \         


        

Answer 1

You can't. From the manual

Returns FALSE if var has a non-empty and non-zero value.

The following things are considered to be empty:

• "" (an empty string)
• 0 (0 as an integer)
• "0" (0 as a string)
• NULL
• FALSE
• array() (an empty array)
• var $var; (a variable declared, but without a value in a class)