> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.syntblaze.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # PHP Logical OR The `||` (Logical OR) operator is a binary boolean operator that evaluates to `true` if at least one of its operands evaluates to `true`, and `false` strictly when both operands evaluate to `false`. ```php theme={"dark"} $result = $expression1 || $expression2; ``` ## Evaluation Mechanics **Short-Circuit Evaluation** The `||` operator processes operands from left to right using short-circuit evaluation. If the left operand evaluates to `true`, the operator immediately returns `true` and the right operand is completely ignored (neither executed nor evaluated). The right operand is evaluated if and only if the left operand evaluates to `false`. ```php theme={"dark"} // $b is never evaluated because the left operand is true $result = true || $b; ``` **Type Coercion** PHP implicitly casts non-boolean operands to boolean values prior to evaluation. * Values such as `0`, `0.0`, `""` (empty string), `"0"`, `null`, and empty arrays `[]` are coerced to `false` (falsy). * All other values are coerced to `true` (truthy). ```php theme={"dark"} $result = 0 || "text"; // Evaluates to true (false || true) ``` ## Operator Precedence The `||` operator occupies a specific tier in PHP's operator precedence hierarchy, which dictates how expressions are grouped in the absence of parentheses. * **Lower precedence than `&&`:** In expressions combining Logical AND and Logical OR, `&&` binds tighter and is evaluated before `||`. * **Higher precedence than `or`:** While `||` and `or` perform the exact same logical operation, `||` has a higher precedence than assignment operators (`=`), whereas `or` has a lower precedence. ```php theme={"dark"} // Precedence comparison $a = false || true; // $a is assigned true. Evaluated as: $a = (false || true) $b = false or true; // $b is assigned false. Evaluated as: ($b = false) or true ``` ## Return Type Regardless of the original data types of the operands provided, the `||` operator strictly returns a boolean value (`true` or `false`). Unlike some other programming languages (like JavaScript), PHP's `||` operator does not return the underlying truthy or falsy operand itself. ```php theme={"dark"} $result = "apple" || "orange"; // Returns boolean true, NOT the string "apple" ```
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