Is it possible to write strictly typed PHP code?

Question

For example, is it possible to write code like this:

int $x = 6;
str $y = "hello world";
bool $z = false;
MyObject $foo = new MyObject();

And is it possible to define functions like this:

public int function getBalance()
{
   return 555; //Or any numeric value
}

Answer 1

No. That syntax will not work.

You could, theoretically, come up with a system of objects that enforced their own sort of strict typing, but it wouldn't perform and ...why would you want to, anyway?

If you need strict typing, use a strictly typed language.

Answer 2

PHP is not strictly typed, so no. That said, it does support limited type hinting on functions - that's as close as it gets.

Answer 3

No. There is support for type hinting since php5 , but "Type Hints can only be of the object and array (since PHP 5.1) type. Traditional type hinting with int and string isn't supported."

That is as far as php currently goes, and as far as it should go if you ask me.

Answer 4

Since the answer is basically "no", an alternative: A PHP "linter", which should catch some of the things a compile-time check would catch in a staticly-typed language like C. Not the same, but should prevent some sillyness

"Is there a static code analyzer [like Lint] for PHP files" lists many of these.