In PHP, data types are used to define the type of data that a variable can hold. PHP supports various data types, each with its own characteristics and uses. Here are the main data types in PHP:

1. Integers: Integers represent whole numbers, both positive and negative, without decimal points.

php
$num = 42; // Positive integer
$negativeNum = -8; // Negative integer

It's worth noting that `echo` is generally more commonly used and recommended over `print` due to its simplicity and better performance.

2. Floating-Point Numbers (Floats/Doubles): Floating-point numbers represent numbers with decimal points.

php
$pi = 3.14159;
$price = 19.99;

3. Strings: Strings represent sequences of characters, enclosed in single or double quotes.

php
$name = "John";
$message = 'Hello, ' . $name . '!';

4. Booleans: Booleans represent true or false values.

php
$isStudent = true;
$isAdmin = false;

5. Arrays: Arrays hold multiple values in an ordered collection, accessible using numeric or associative keys.

php
$colors = array("red", "green", "blue");
$person = array("name" => "Alice", "age" => 28);

6. Objects: Objects represent instances of user-defined classes, containing both data (properties) and methods (functions).

php
class Person {
    public $name;
    public $age;
}

$person = new Person();
$person->name = "Jane";
$person->age = 30;

7. NULL: The special value `null` represents the absence of a value or a variable with no value assigned.

php
$variable = null;

9. Callable: A callable data type represents a function or method that can be called using the `call_user_func()` or `call_user_func_array()` functions.

10. Iterable: An iterable data type represents a data structure that can be looped through, such as arrays or objects that implement the `Traversable` interface.

11. Scalars: Integers, floats, booleans, and strings are considered scalar data types, as they hold single values.

These are the core data types in PHP. It's important to understand how these data types work, as they form the building blocks for creating variables and manipulating data in PHP programs. Additionally, PHP is dynamically typed, meaning you don't need to explicitly specify the data type of a variable; it is determined at runtime based on the value assigned to it.

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