PHP Variable Handling is_object() Function

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The PHP Variable Handling is_object() function is used to check whether a given variable is an object. It returns true when the variable is an object and false otherwise. PHP uses classes to create objects. This function is useful when working with PHP objects and classes.

It is useful for verifying data before doing any operations on objects. PHP 4, 5, 7, and 8 all support the is_object() function. It only requires one parameter, which is the variable to check. This method is simple but effective in preventing coding errors.

Syntax

Below is the syntax of the PHP Variable Handling is_object() function −

bool is_object ( mixed $value )

Parameters

This function accepts $value parameter which is the variable that needs to be checked.

Return Value

The is_object() function returns TRUE if the variable is an object. And it returns FALSE if the variable is not an object.

PHP Version

First introduced in core PHP 4, the is_object() function continues to function easily in PHP 5, PHP 7, and PHP 8.

Example 1

This program uses the PHP Variable Handling is_object() function to check if a given variable is an object. It first assigns an integer to the variable before deciding whether it is an object. An integer is not an object, hence is_object() returns false. This is the most basic use of the function.

<?php
  // Integer variable
  $var = 10; 
  if (is_object($var)) {
    echo "This is an object.";
  } else {
    echo "This is not an object."; 
  }
?>

Output

Here is the outcome of the following code −

This is not an object.

Example 2

This program creates an object from a class and validates it with is_object(). Because an object is derived from a class, is_object() returns true. It is useful for determining if a variable contains an object. This is useful for handling class instances in PHP.

<?php
  // Defining a class
  class Car {} 

  // Creating an object
  $obj = new Car(); 
  if (is_object($obj)) {
    echo "This is an object."; 
  } else {
    echo "This is not an object.";
  }
?> 

Output

This will generate the below output −

This is an object.

Example 3

This program used is_object() to find out different kinds of variables. It shows how is_object() works with arrays, strings, and objects. Only the object variable returns true, while the others return false. This method is useful for identifying and handling a variety of data types.

<?php
  // String
  $var1 = "Hello"; 

  // Array
  $var2 = [1, 2, 3]; 

  // Object
  $var3 = new stdClass(); 

  echo is_object($var1) ? "var1 is an object\n" : "var1 is not an object\n"; 
  echo is_object($var2) ? "var2 is an object\n" : "var2 is not an object\n"; 
  echo is_object($var3) ? "var3 is an object\n" : "var3 is not an object\n"; 
?> 

Output

This will create the below output −

var1 is not an object
var2 is not an object
var3 is an object

Example 4

The program uses different data types, like objects, in an array. It iterates across the array, testing each value for is_object(). This is useful when dealing with complex data structures in PHP. Only one object in the array will return true, while the others will return false.

<?php
  // Defining a class  
  class Person {} 
  // Creating an object  
  $obj = new Person(); 
  // Array with different data types  
  $data = [10, "text", $obj, 3.14]; 

  foreach ($data as $item) {
    echo is_object($item) ? "Object found\n" : "Not an object\n";
  }
?> 

Output

Following is the output of the above code −

Not an object
Not an object
Object found
Not an object