TO reproduce the problem:

Run a mysql query with the following:

   SELECT FORMAT((1004763843/1800),0) as TimeIndex

This will yeild 558,202. (Including the comma). 

As output from the sample script shows (see below for script):

   Before str_replace = 558,202

This needs to be converted to type int, but doing a settype to integer will return only 558. So any resourceful (pronounced "lazy") php programmer would suggest using str_replace to remove the comma. This does not work: 

   After str_replace = 558,202

So doing the settype still yeilds this: 

   After settype = 558

Is there a way to have settype deal with commas (depending on the locale of course)? Of course the real solution is to use the MYSQL FLOOR, CEILING and ROUND functions, which I have done, but it was still perplexing as to why str_replace wouldn't work correctly on this string. The database library used here is phpDB. 

Script:
$query = "SELECT FORMAT((1004763843/1800),0) as TimeIndex";

echo $query."<br>\n";

            $rs = $db->execute($query);

            $TimeIndex = $rs->fields["TimeIndex"];
            echo "Before str_replace = $TimeIndex <BR>\n";
            str_replace(",","",$TimeIndex);
            echo "After str_replace = $TimeIndex <BR>\n";
            settype($TimeIndex,"integer");
            echo "After settype = $TimeIndex <BR>\n";