How to check for empty string in PHP ?
In this article, we will see how to check for empty string in PHP. String is a set of characters. A string is said to be empty, if it contains no characters. We can use empty() function to check whether a string is empty or not.
The function is used to check whether the string is empty or not. It will return true if the string is empty.
Syntax:
bool empty(string)
Parameter: Variable to check whether it is empty or not.
Return Value: If string is empty, it returns true and false otherwise.
Example 1: PHP program to check whether the string is empty or not.
<?php
// Consider a string which is empty
$s = "";
// Return a message if string is empty
if(empty($s)) {
echo "Empty string";
}
else {
echo "Not empty";
}
?>
Output
Empty string
Example 2:
<?php
// Consider a string which is not empty
$s = "Welcome to GFG";
// Return a message if string is empty
if(empty($s)) {
echo "Empty string";
}
else {
echo "Not empty";
}
?>
Output
Not empty
Using the strlen() function
Using the strlen() function, you can check if a string is empty by evaluating its length. If `strlen($string) === 0`, the string is empty. This approach ensures precise length measurement, distinguishing between empty strings and other empty values like `NULL` or `0`.
Example:
<?php
// Consider a string which is empty
$s = "";
// Return a message if string is empty
if (strlen($s) === 0) {
echo "Empty string";
} else {
echo "Not empty";
}
?>
Output
Empty string