fdiv() function in PHP 8

In PHP 8, the fdiv() function performs floating−point division according to the IEEE 754 standard. Unlike regular division, fdiv() allows division by zero without throwing errors, instead returning special IEEE 754 values.

Syntax

fdiv(float $num1, float $num2): float

Parameters

• $num1 − The dividend (number to be divided)

• $num2 − The divisor (number to divide by)

Return Value

The function returns one of the following values ?

• INF (Infinity) − When a positive number is divided by zero

• -INF (Negative Infinity) − When a negative number is divided by zero

• NAN (Not a Number) − When zero is divided by zero or infinity is divided by infinity

• Floating−point result − For normal division operations

Example 1: Basic Division

Here's a simple example demonstrating normal floating−point division ?

<?php
   echo fdiv(15, 4) . "<br>";
   echo fdiv(20, 3) . "<br>";
   echo fdiv(100, 8);
?>

3.75
6.6666666666667
12.5

Example 2: Division by Zero

This example shows how fdiv() handles division by zero cases ?

<?php
   echo fdiv(10, 0) . "<br>";   // Positive number / 0
   echo fdiv(-10, 0) . "<br>";  // Negative number / 0
   echo fdiv(0, 0);           // Zero / 0
?>

INF
-INF
NAN

Comparison with Regular Division

Conclusion

The fdiv() function provides safe IEEE 754−compliant division that gracefully handles division by zero scenarios. It's particularly useful in mathematical calculations where you need to continue processing even when encountering division by zero.