empty() function in PHP to check variable for null, zero value etc

empty()

Before using variable we can check by using empty function in PHP. The advantage of using empty function is it will not generate any error message if the variable does not exist. This function empty() will return True or False ( Boolean return ) based on status of the variable.

if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";}
else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}

The output of above command is here

Variable is empty

Note that there is no warning message. We will get True as return value from empty() if it is null data or 0 etc.

Here is a list for which we will get True as return value from empty function after checking.

For empty string like ""
Zero value string like "0"
Zero value of any integer
0.0 as float
Null
False
Empty array
A variable declared but not assigned any value

We will add one more line to our above code and assign data to our variable $my_var

$my_var=0;
if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";}
else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}

Still we will get output as

Variable is empty

Checking variable by isset() function

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unset: Unset a variable
empty: Checking if variable is empty or not
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urlencode: Encoding variablas before sending then through URL
Session Variables:Starting storing and destroying Sessions with Session ID

empty()

if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";} else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}

Variable is empty

For empty string like "" Zero value string like "0" Zero value of any integer 0.0 as float Null False Empty array A variable declared but not assigned any value

$my_var=0; if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";} else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}

Variable is empty

if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";}
else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}

For empty string like ""
Zero value string like "0"
Zero value of any integer
0.0 as float
Null
False
Empty array
A variable declared but not assigned any value

$my_var=0;
if(empty($my_var)){echo " Variable is empty ";}
else {echo " Variable is not empty ";}