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  <refentry id="function.min">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>min</refname>
    <refpurpose>Find lowest value</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>mixed</type><methodname>min</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>number</type><parameter>arg1</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam><type>number</type><parameter>arg2</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam choice="opt"><type>number</type><parameter>...</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>mixed</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>
     If the first and only parameter is an array, <function>min</function>
     returns the lowest value in that array.  If the first parameter
     is an integer, string or float, you need at least two parameters
     and <function>min</function> returns the smallest of these values.
     You can compare an unlimited number of values.
    </para>
    <note>
     <para>
      PHP will evaluate a non-numeric <type>string</type> as 
      <literal>0</literal>, but still return the string if it's seen as the
      numerically lowest value.  If multiple arguments evaluate to
      <literal>0</literal>, <function>min</function> will return the lowest
      alphanumerical string value if any strings are given, else a numeric
      <literal>0</literal> is returned.
     </para>
    </note>
    <para>
     <example>
      <title>Example uses of <function>min</function></title>
      <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
echo min(2, 3, 1, 6, 7);  // 1
echo min(array(2, 4, 5)); // 2

echo min(0, 'hello');     // 0
echo min('hello', 0);     // hello
echo min('hello', -1);    // -1

// With multiple arrays, min compares from left to right
// so in our example: 2 == 2, but 4 < 5
$val = min(array(2, 4, 8), array(2, 5, 1)); // array(2, 4, 8)

// If both an array and non-array are given, the array
// is never returned as it's considered the largest
$val = min('string', array(2, 5, 7), 42);   // string
?>
]]>
      </programlisting>
     </example>
    </para>
    <para>
     See also <function>max</function> and
     <function>count</function>.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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