Echo a very large number
<p>I have a unusual problem which I have no idea how to solve.</p>

<p>I have a JSON file, where a application id is stored, namely the following:</p>

<pre><code>"app_id": "363924477024846"
</code></pre>

<p>I read my JSON file from the HDD and parse it with json_decode() to use it in my application.
However, at one point, I want to have the app-id sent to the browser. The problem is, if I echo that variable out, its printed as following:</p>

<pre><code>2.7110712626725E+14
</code></pre>

<p>Is there any way to prevent this? I don't need it to be threated as a number by PHP since I am not doing any calculations with it - a string would be fine. But since its represented by numbers only, it seems that json_decode() threats it as a number, even tough I put quotes around it (which should indicate a string) or maybe PHP just does stupid type hinting in this case, I don't know...</p>

<p>Any ideas on how to handle that?</p>
