empty() returns false for 0.00

[code green]

I am using this line of code to test for a price

if(empty($line['price']))
{
    $err .= '<pre>No Price for '.print_r($line,1).'</pre>';
    return false;
}

The price comes from a database as DECIMAL and I am suprised 0.00 is not 'empty'. Is this normal behaviour?
It does suit my purposes as there is a difference between free-of-charge 0.00 and a missing price '', which I am tyring to trap.

[Rabbit]

0.00 is not empty. It's a number. You'll just need a logical or to test for the 0 case.

[edaj]

you probably need to write in the IF condition this:

empty($line['price'] === false

With that you can difference if is a 'really' false or other value

[Dormilich]

0.00 is not empty. It's a number.

it’s not a number either, it’s a string (like anything you get off the $_POST/$_GET arrays).

[code green]

it’s not a number either, it’s a string (like anything you get off the $_POST/$_GET arrays).

It is directly from a database via mssql functions not a web-form.
But the important thing is, 0.00 is not empty - ever, so my test above is fine as free of charge goods will have a 0.00 price,
and un-priced goods will be NULL in the database and need to be trapped.
Thanks for all the comments

[Dormilich]

you’re right, I misread that part. you could simply test the datatype with var_dump(), though I suspect even DB results are strings (not much different from $_POST)

[code green]

though I suspect even DB results are strings (not much different from $_POST)

Interesting point, I have never investigated this.
But I have found myself having to cast (float) in php doing calculations,
even though the data from the DB is supposedly in a numeric format.

[Dormilich]

well, I have never doubted this as you send/get data in a serialized format. and I’m pretty sure the mysql functions don’t do any back conversion.

it might be different if you used prepared statements and have bound a parameter.

[mfaisalwarraich]

according to php manual a variable is empty if meeting anyone of the following case:

"" (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)
 

[dlite922]

 
if("0.00" == 0) echo "Just FYI, this returns true."; 
else echo "Surprised if it doesn't!"; 
 
 

DM