ToString() equivalent in PHP How do I convert the value of a PHP variable to string? I was looking for something better than concatenating with an empty string: $myText = $myVar . ''; Like the ToString() method in Java or .NET. Answer: Can use the casting operators: $myText = (string)$myVar; There are more details for string casting and conversion in the Strings section of the PHP manual, including special handling for booleans and nulls.