Parsing and obtaining valid numeric values with PHP
When working with data in PHP, particularly when it comes to handling numeric values, ensuring accuracy and consistency is paramount. Whether you're dealing with user input, database queries, or any other form of data manipulation, having reliable methods to determine and process numeric values is essential.
In this blog post, we'll delve into the getNumeric method from the NumericUtils class within TurboCommons, a versatile library designed to streamline common software development tasks.
Rememeber that this method is also available on the NumericUtils class for other languages like typescript or javascript, and it will behave exactly the same way as the PHP version!
What is getNumeric?
The getNumeric method is a utility function provided by the NumericUtils class. Its primary purpose is to extract and return the numeric representation of any given value. This function is particularly useful when dealing with mixed data types or when you need to ensure that a value is interpreted as a numeric type.
How Does it Work?
Let's explore the inner workings of the getNumeric method:
public static function getNumeric($value, $decimalDivider = '');-
Parameters: The method accepts two parameters: $value, which can be of any data type and an optional $decimalDivider value that we can use to specifically set the character that is expected to be the decimal separator on that value.
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Return value: The method returns the numeric representation of the value by performing an inteligent process to automatically detect the decimal divider if not specified.
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Exception Handling: In case the provided value is not numeric, an UnexpectedValueException is thrown, indicating that the value could not be converted to a numeric representation.
Example Usage:
// Example of getnumeric autodetecting decimal separator character
$numericValue1 = NumericUtils::getNumeric('123.45');
$numericValue2 = NumericUtils::getNumeric('123,45');
echo $numericValue1; // Output: 123.45 (float)
echo $numericValue2; // Output: 123.45 (float)Conclusion
The getNumeric method serves as a valuable tool for ensuring the integrity and consistency of numeric data within PHP applications. By providing a robust mechanism for extracting numeric representations from mixed data types, it facilitates smoother data processing and enhances the reliability of your codebase. Whether you're working with user input, database queries, or any other form of data manipulation, incorporating getNumeric into your toolkit can help streamline your development workflow and minimize potential errors.