How to check what a string starts with

Short answer

str_starts_with() checks the beginning of a string:

<?php
 
var_dump(str_starts_with('https://example.com', 'https://'));

Output:

bool(true)

The end of a string

The companion str_ends_with() checks the end — for example, a file extension:

<?php
 
var_dump(str_ends_with('report.pdf', '.pdf'));

Output:

bool(true)

Ignoring case

Both functions are case-sensitive. Convert the string to lowercase before checking:

<?php
 
var_dump(str_starts_with(mb_strtolower('HTTPS://example.com'), 'https://'));

Output:

bool(true)