<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
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  <refentry id="function.min">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>min</refname>
    <refpurpose>Find lowest value</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>number</type><methodname>min</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>number</type><parameter>arg1</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam><type>number</type><parameter>arg2</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam choice="opt"><parameter>...</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>number</type><methodname>min</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>array</type><parameter>numbers</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
    <para>
     <function>min</function> returns the numerically lowest of the
     parameter values.
    </para>
    <para>
     In the first variant, you need at least two parameters
     and <function>min</function> returns the lowest of these values.
     You can compare an unlimited number of values.  If one of the 
     variables is undefined, <function>min</function> will fail.
    </para>
    <para>
     In the second variant, <function>min</function>
     returns the lowest value in <parameter>numbers</parameter>.  
    </para>
    <para>
     If one or more of the values is a <type>float</type>, all the values 
     will be
     treated as floats, and a float is returned.  If none of the
     values is a float, all of them will be treated as <type>integer</type>s, 
     and an integer is returned.  Upon failure, <function>min</function> 
     returns <type>NULL</type> and an error of level <constant>E_WARNING</constant>
     is generated.
    </para>
    <para>
     <informalexample>
      <programlisting>
<![CDATA[
<?php
$a = 4; 
$b = 9; 
$c = 3;
$arr = array(99, 34, 11);

// You may want to implement your own error checking in 
// case of failure (a variable may not be set)
if (!$min_value = @min($a, $b, $c)) {
    echo "Could not get min value, please try again.";
} else {
    echo "min value is $min_value";
}

print min($arr);  // 11

?>
]]>
      </programlisting>
     </informalexample>
    </para>
    <para>
     See also <function>max</function>.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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