pow.rightNonNumeric

Code example

<?php declare(strict_types = 1);

$base = 2;
$exponent = null;

$result = $base ** $exponent;

Why is it reported?

This error is reported by the phpstan-strict-rules extension.

The right operand of the ** (exponentiation) operator is not a numeric type. PHP will attempt to coerce the value to a number, which can produce unexpected results or warnings. Strict type checking ensures that only int or float values are used in arithmetic operations.

How to fix it

Ensure the right operand is a numeric type:

 $base = 2;
-$exponent = null;
+$exponent = 3;

 $result = $base ** $exponent;

If the value comes from an external source, validate or cast it before use:

-$result = $base ** $input;
+$result = $base ** (int) $input;