PHP Function Get_Resource_Type
Article about php function get_resource_type
The get_resource_type() function is an inbuilt PHP function used to return the type of resource. The function takes a single parameter, which is the evaluated resource handle. The function returns a string if the passed resource is of type resource else it will return “Unknown”. This function is used by many internal functions like fopen.
Resource is a special data type in PHP which acts as a reference to external source of data such as stream, file or database. PHP’s Zend engine uses reference counting system so that once the resource variable loses its reference, memory associated with it will be automatically destroyed by garbage collector. Various PHP functions create resources which can be opened or closed by the user.
The get_resource_type() function provides a simple, sane and safe way to retrieve the resource ID of a variable. It essentially does an int cast of the resource variable to make it easier for the programmer to identify the handle type. This function is available since PHP 8. It can also be polyfilled in older versions of PHP. It’s a very useful function which can be used to ensure that the correct type of resource is being used in a context and also to avoid errors caused by working with mixed data types. This function is very useful for developers and can be a time saver for them.