strncmp

Binary safe string comparison of the first n characters

&reftitle.description; `int` `strncmp` `string` `string1` `string` `string2` `int` `length`

This function is similar to `strcmp`, with the difference that you can specify the (upper limit of the) number of characters from each string to be used in the comparison.

Note that this comparison is case sensitive.

&reftitle.parameters;

`string1`

- The first string.

`string2`

- The second string.

`length`

- Number of characters to use in the comparison.

&reftitle.returnvalues;

Returns `-1` if `string1` is less than `string2`; `1` if `string1` is greater than `string2`, and `0` if they are equal.

&reftitle.changelog;

&Version; | &Description;
&standard.changelog.binary-safe-string-comparison;

&reftitle.examples;

### `strncmp` example

    <?php

    $var1 = 'Hello John';
    $var2 = 'Hello Doe';
    if (strncmp($var1, $var2, 5) === 0) {
        echo 'First 5 characters of $var1 and $var2 are equals in a case-sensitive string comparison';
    }
    ?>

&reftitle.seealso;

- `strncasecmp`
- `preg_match`
- `substr_compare`
- `strcmp`
- `strstr`
- `substr`