12  * If the option does not exist or does not have a value, then the return value

    12  * If the option does not exist, and a default value is not provided,

    13  * will be false. This is useful to check whether you need to install an option

    13  * boolean false is returned. This could be used to check whether you need

    14  * and is commonly used during installation of plugin options and to test

    14  * to initialize an option during installation of a plugin, however that

    15  * whether upgrading is required.

    15  * can be done better by using add_option() which will not overwrite

    16  *

    16  * existing options.

    17  * If the option was serialized then it will be unserialized when it is returned.

    17  *

    18  *

    18  * Not initializing an option and using boolean `false` as a return value

    19  * Any scalar values will be returned as strings. You may coerce the return type of

    19  * is a bad practice as it triggers an additional database query.

    20  * a given option by registering an {@see 'option_$option'} filter callback.

    20  *

    21  * The type of the returned value can be different from the type that was passed

    22  * when saving or updating the option. If the option value was serialized,

    23  * then it will be unserialized when it is returned. In this case the type will

    24  * be the same. For example, storing a non-scalar value like an array will

    25  * return the same array.

    26  *

    27  * In most cases non-string scalar and null values will be converted and returned

    28  * as string equivalents.

    29  *

    30  * Exceptions:

    31  * 1. When the option has not been saved in the database, the `$default` value

    32  *    is returned if provided. If not, boolean `false` is returned.

    33  * 2. When one of the Options API filters is used: {@see 'pre_option_{$option}'},

    34  *    {@see 'default_option_{$option}'}, or {@see 'option_{$option}'}, the returned

    35  *    value may not match the expected type.

    36  * 3. When the option has just been saved in the database, and get_option()

    37  *    is used right after, non-string scalar and null values are not converted to

    38  *    string equivalents and the original type is returned.

    39  *

    40  * Examples:

    41  *

    42  * When adding options like this: `add_option( 'my_option_name', 'value' );`

    43  * and then retrieving them with `get_option( 'my_option_name' );`, the returned

    44  * values will be:

    45  *

    46  * `false` returns `string(0) ""`

    47  * `true`  returns `string(1) "1"`

    48  * `0`     returns `string(1) "0"`

    49  * `1`     returns `string(1) "1"`

    50  * `'0'`   returns `string(1) "0"`

    51  * `'1'`   returns `string(1) "1"`

    52  * `null`  returns `string(0) ""`

    53  *

    54  * When adding options with non-scalar values like

    55  * `add_option( 'my_array', array( false, 'str', null ) );`, the returned value

    56  * will be identical to the original as it is serialized before saving

    57  * it in the database:

    58  *

    59  *    array(3) {

    60  *        [0] => bool(false)

    61  *        [1] => string(3) "str"

    62  *        [2] => NULL

    63  *    }

    28  * @return mixed Value set for the option.

    71  * @return mixed Value of the option. A value of any type may be returned, including

    72  *               scalar (string, boolean, float, integer), null, array, object.

    73  *               Scalar and null values will be returned as strings as long as they originate

    74  *               from a database stored option value. If there is no option in the database,

    75  *               boolean `false` is returned.

  1060  * @param string $name    The name of the setting.

  1107  * @param string       $name    The name of the setting.

  1061  * @param string $default Optional default value to return when $name is not set.

  1108  * @param string|false $default Optional. Default value to return when $name is not set. Default false.

  2325  * @param string   $option_group The settings group name used during registration.

  2372  * @param string          $option_group The settings group name used during registration.

  2326  * @param string   $option_name  The name of the option to unregister.

  2373  * @param string          $option_name  The name of the option to unregister.

  2327  * @param callable $deprecated   Deprecated.

  2374  * @param callable|string $deprecated   Deprecated.