[php] How to check if an integer is within a range?

Is there a way to test a range without doing this redundant code:

if ($int>$min && $int<$max)

?

Like a function:

function testRange($int,$min,$max){
    return ($min<$int && $int<$max);
}

usage:

if (testRange($int,$min,$max)) 

?

Does PHP have such built-in function? Or any other way to do it?

This question is related to php int range

The answer is


Tested your 3 ways with a 1000000-times-loop.

t1_test1: ($val >= $min && $val <= $max): 0.3823 ms

t2_test2: (in_array($val, range($min, $max)): 9.3301 ms

t3_test3: (max(min($var, $max), $min) == $val): 0.7272 ms

T1 was fastest, it was basicly this:

function t1($val, $min, $max) {
  return ($val >= $min && $val <= $max);
}

Most of the given examples assume that for the test range [$a..$b], $a <= $b, i.e. the range extremes are in lower - higher order and most assume that all are integer numbers.
But I needed a function to test if $n was between $a and $b, as described here:

Check if $n is between $a and $b even if:
    $a < $b  
    $a > $b
    $a = $b

All numbers can be real, not only integer.

There is an easy way to test.
I base the test it in the fact that ($n-$a) and ($n-$b) have different signs when $n is between $a and $b, and the same sign when $n is outside the $a..$b range.
This function is valid for testing increasing, decreasing, positive and negative numbers, not limited to test only integer numbers.

function between($n, $a, $b)
{
    return (($a==$n)&&($b==$n))? true : ($n-$a)*($n-$b)<0;
}

There's filter_var() as well and it's the native function which checks range. It doesn't give exactly what you want (never returns true), but with "cheat" we can change it.

I don't think it's a good code as for readability, but I show it's as a possibility:

return (filter_var($someNumber, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, ['options' => ['min_range' => $min, 'max_range' => $max]]) !== false)

Just fill $someNumber, $min and $max. filter_var with that filter returns either boolean false when number is outside range or the number itself when it's within range. The expression (!== false) makes function return true, when number is within range.

If you want to shorten it somehow, remember about type casting. If you would use != it would be false for number 0 within range -5; +5 (while it should be true). The same would happen if you would use type casting ((bool)).

// EXAMPLE OF WRONG USE, GIVES WRONG RESULTS WITH "0"
(bool)filter_var($someNumber, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, ['options' => ['min_range' => $min, 'max_range' => $max]])
if (filter_var($someNumber, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, ['options' => ['min_range' => $min, 'max_range' => $max]])) ...

Imagine that (from other answer):

if(in_array($userScore, range(-5, 5))) echo 'your score is correct'; else echo 'incorrect, enter again';

If user would write empty value ($userScore = '') it would be correct, as in_array is set here for default, non-strict more and that means that range creates 0 as well, and '' == 0 (non-strict), but '' !== 0 (if you would use strict mode). It's easy to miss such things and that's why I wrote a bit about that. I was learned that strict operators are default, and programmer could use non-strict only in special cases. I think it's a good lesson. Most examples here would fail in some cases because non-strict checking.

Still I like filter_var and you can use above (or below if I'd got so "upped" ;)) functions and make your own callback which you would use as FILTER_CALLBACK filter. You could return bool or even add openRange parameter. And other good point: you can use other functions, e.g. checking range of every number of array or POST/GET values. That's really powerful tool.


I'm not able to comment (not enough reputation) so I'll amend Luis Rosety's answer here:

function between($n, $a, $b) {
    return ($n-$a)*($n-$b) <= 0;
}

This function works also in cases where n == a or n == b.

Proof: Let n belong to range [a,b], where [a,b] is a subset of real numbers.

Now a <= n <= b. Then n-a >= 0 and n-b <= 0. That means that (n-a)*(n-b) <= 0.

Case b <= n <= a works similarly.


Using comparison operators is way, way faster than calling any function. I'm not 100% sure if this exists, but I think it doesn't.


You could do it using in_array() combined with range()

if (in_array($value, range($min, $max))) {
    // Value is in range
}

Note As has been pointed out in the comments however, this is not exactly a great solution if you are focussed on performance. Generating an array (escpecially with larger ranges) will slow down the execution.


There is no builtin function, but you can easily achieve it by calling the functions min() and max() appropriately.

// Limit integer between 1 and 100000
$var = max(min($var, 100000), 1);

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