How to convert an integer to a string in PHP: all methods and pitfalls

Hello everyone! I just started learning PHP and encountered a problem. I need to convert an integer to a string. For example, I have a variable: ```php $number = 42; ``` And I need to get the string "42" to, say, concatenate it with other text or pass it to a function that expects a string. I know that PHP has automatic type coercion, but I need to do this explicitly. I tried several methods, but I'm not sure which one is correct and which is best to use in real projects. Here's what I've tried: 1. Simple assignment with concatenation: `$str = "" . $number;` 2. Using the `strval()` function: `$str = strval($number);` 3. Using type casting: `$str = (string) $number;` 4. Using `sprintf()`: `$str = sprintf`