> ## Documentation Index
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> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# PHP Division
The `/` operator in PHP is the arithmetic division operator used to calculate the quotient of two numeric operands, dividing the left operand (dividend) by the right operand (divisor).
```php theme={"dark"}
$quotient = $dividend / $divisor;
```
## Return Type Resolution
Unlike strictly typed C-family languages where dividing two integers always yields an integer, PHP dynamically resolves the return type based on the mathematical result, the types of the operands, and integer overflow boundaries:
1. **`int`**: Returned only if both operands evaluate to integers, the dividend is an exact multiple of the divisor (i.e., there is no fractional remainder), *and* the result does not exceed the maximum integer limit (`PHP_INT_MAX`).
2. **`float`**: Returned if either operand is a float, if the division of two integers results in a fractional value, or in the event of an integer overflow. Specifically, dividing `PHP_INT_MIN` by `-1` yields a `float` because the positive result exceeds `PHP_INT_MAX`.
```php theme={"dark"}
var_dump(10 / 2); // int(5)
var_dump(10 / 3); // float(3.3333333333333335)
var_dump(10.0 / 2); // float(5)
var_dump(PHP_INT_MIN / -1); // float(...) - Integer overflow fallback
```
*Note: To enforce strict integer division (truncating the fractional part), PHP provides the `intdiv()` function.*
## Type Coercion
PHP's engine automatically performs type juggling on non-numeric scalar operands prior to execution. Valid numeric strings—which may contain characters such as `.`, `e`, `E`, `+`, `-`, and whitespace—are coerced into either `int` or `float` depending on their format.
```php theme={"dark"}
var_dump("10" / "2"); // int(5) - Strings coerced to integers
var_dump("10.5" / 2); // float(5.25) - String coerced to float
var_dump(" 1e1 " / 2); // float(5) - Scientific notation string coerced to float
```
If an operand is a *non-numeric string* (a string that cannot be parsed as a valid integer or float), PHP 8.0 and later will throw a `TypeError`.
## Division by Zero Behavior
The behavior of the `/` operator when the divisor evaluates to zero depends on the PHP version:
* **PHP 8.0 and later:** Throws a `DivisionByZeroError` exception for any zero divisor (`0`, `0.0`, or `"0"`).
* **PHP 7.x:** Emits an `E_WARNING` ("Division by zero") and evaluates the expression to `false` for any zero divisor, regardless of whether it is an integer `0` or a float `0.0`.
```php theme={"dark"}
// PHP 8.0+ Error Handling
try {
$result = 10 / 0;
} catch (DivisionByZeroError $e) {
// Execution halts and transfers to the catch block
}
```
## Operator Precedence
The `/` operator shares the same precedence level as multiplication (`*`) and modulo (`%`). It has higher precedence than addition (`+`) and subtraction (`-`). Associativity is strictly left-to-right.
```php theme={"dark"}
$result = 10 + 20 / 5;
// Evaluates as 10 + (20 / 5) -> 14
$result = 20 / 5 / 2;
// Evaluates as (20 / 5) / 2 -> 2
```
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