title: PHP - How to convert an integer number with leading zeros to string?
body: <p>I want to convert an integer number to string while maintaining the leading <code>0</code>'s.</p>
  
  <p>Is this posible in <code>PHP</code>?</p>
  
  <pre><code>$num = 0000003;
  
  echo $num; // output: 3
  
  echo (string)$num; // output: 3
  
  // Wanted output: "0000003"
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>Edit</strong>:</p>
  
  <p>I read the most questions before in SO, but I was curious if there was a possibility to keep the <code>0</code> and convert it to string in runtime, like the code example above <code>echo (string)$num;</code>.</p>