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# gettype

(PHP 3 <= 3.0.18, PHP 4 >= 4.0.0)

gettype -- Get the type of a variable

## Description

``string gettype` (mixed var)`

Returns the type of the PHP variable `var`.

Warning
Never use gettype() to test for a certain type, since the returned string may be subject to change in a future version. In addition, it is slow too, as it involves string comparision . Instead, use the `is_*` functions.

Possibles values for the returned string are:

- "boolean" (since PHP 4)

- "integer"

- "double" (for historical reasons "double" is returned in case of a float, and not simply "float")

- "string"

- "array"

- "object"

- "resource" (since PHP 4)

- "null" (since PHP 4)

- "user function" (PHP 3 only, deprecated)

- "unknown type"

For PHP 4, you should use function_exists() and method_exists() to replace the prior usage of gettype() on a function.

See also settype(), is_array(), is_bool(), is_float(), is_integer(), is_null(), is_numeric(), is_object(), is_resource(), is_scalar() and is_string().

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