PHP Operators

Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.

PHP divides the operators in the following groups:

1. Arithmetic operators
2. Assignment operators
3. Comparison operators
4. Increment/Decrement operators
5. Logical operators
6. String operators
7. Array operators
8. Conditional assignment operators

1. PHP Arithmetic Operators

The PHP arithmetic operators are used with numeric values to perform
common arithmetical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication
etc.

Operator Name Example Result

+ Addition $x + $y Sum of $x
and $y

- Subtraction $x - $y Difference Try it

of $x and »
$y

* Multiplication $x * $y Product of
$x and $y
 / Division $x / $y Quotient Try it
of $x and »
$y

% Modulus $x % $y Remainder
of $x
divided by
$y

** Exponentiation $x ** $y Result of Try it

raising $x »
to the
$y'th
power

2. PHP Assignment Operator

The PHP assignment operators are used with numeric values to write a value
to a variable.

The basic assignment operator in PHP is "=". It means that the left operand
gets set to the value of the assignment expression on the right.

Assignment Same as... Description

x=y x=y The left operand gets

set to the value of the
expression on the
right
 x += y x=x+y Addition Try it »

x -= y x=x–y Subtraction

x *= y x=x*y Multiplication Try it »

x /= y x=x/y Division

x %= y x=x%y Modulus Try it »

3. PHP Comparison Operators

The PHP comparison operators are used to compare two values (number or
string):

Operator Name Example Result

== Equal $x == $y Returns true if $x is equal

to $y

=== Identical $x === $y Returns true if $x is equal Try

to $y, and they are of the it »
same type

!= Not equal $x != $y Returns true if $x is not

 equal to $y

<> Not equal $x <> $y Returns true if $x is not Try

equal to $y it »

!== Not identical $x !== $y Returns true if $x is not

equal to $y, or they are
not of the same type

> Greater than $x > $y Returns true if $x is Try

greater than $y it »

< Less than $x < $y Returns true if $x is less

than $y

>= Greater than or equal $x >= $y Returns true if $x is Try

to greater than or equal to $y it »

<= Less than or equal to $x <= $y Returns true if $x is less

than or equal to $y

<=> Spaceship $x <=> $y Returns an integer less Try

than, equal to, or greater it »
than zero, depending on if
$x is less than, equal to, or
greater than $y.
Introduced in PHP 7.
 4. PHP Increment / Decrement Operators

The PHP increment operators are used to increment a variable's value.

The PHP decrement operators are used to decrement a variable's value.

Operator Name Description

++$x Pre-increment Increments $x by one, then returns

$x

$x++ Post-increment Returns $x, then increments $x by Try it

one »

--$x Pre-decrement Decrements $x by one, then

returns $x

$x-- Post-decrement Returns $x, then decrements $x by Try it

one »

5. PHP Logical Operators

The PHP logical operators are used to combine conditional statements.

Operator Name Example Result

 And And $x and $y True if both $x
and $y are true

Or Or $x or $y True if either $x Try

or $y is true it »

Xor Xor $x xor $y True if either $x

or $y is true, but
not both

&& And $x && $y True if both $x Try

and $y are true it »

|| Or $x || $y True if either $x
or $y is true

! Not !$x True if $x is not Try

true it »

6. PHP String Operators

PHP has two operators that are specially designed for strings.

Operator Name Example Result

. Concatenation $txt1 . $txt2 Concatenation t

 of $txt1 and
$txt2

.= Concatenation $txt1 .= $txt2 Appends $txt2 T

assignment to $txt1 r
y
it
»

7. PHP Array Operators

The PHP array operators are used to compare arrays.

Operator Name Example Result

+ Union $x + $y Union of
$x and
$y

== Equality $x == $y Returns Try it »

true if $x
and $y
have the
same
key/value
pairs

=== Identity $x === $y Returns »

true if $x
 and $y
have the
same
key/value
pairs in
the same
order and
of the
same
types

!= Inequality $x != $y Returns Try it »

true if $x
is not
equal to
$y

<> Inequality $x <> $y Returns

true if $x
is not
equal to
$y

!== Non-identity $x !== $y Returns Try it »

true if $x
is not
identical
to $y
 8. PHP Conditional Assignment Operators

The PHP conditional assignment operators are used to set a value depending
on conditions:

Operator Name Example Result

?: Ternary $x Returns the value of

= expr1 ? expr2 : expr3 $x.
The value of $x
is expr2 if expr1 =
TRUE.
The value of $x
is expr3 if expr1 =
FALSE

?? Null $x = expr1 ?? expr2 Returns the value of Try it

coalescing $x.
The value of $x
is expr1 if expr1 exists,
and is not NULL.
If expr1 does not exist,
or is NULL, the value
of $x is expr2.
Introduced in PHP 7