PHP has no (strict) types so it doesn't matter which types mysql_fetch_row & co return.

It does matter to me. The problem arose for me by my using the & operator on the returned values. Though I might have expected it, no automatic cast was done to an integer, with nonsense results. Instead, any value I want to use as a bit array to do bit manipulation on I have to cast (laboriously, error-prone) to (integer). That's a pain.
All I'm asking for is to have a fetch command that returns a sensible type appropriate to the type stored in the database.

This is not possible cause the mysql c-api function 
mysql_fetch_row (which is used in the mysql extension) 
always returns strings.

Many thanks for this clarification.

For people like me, it would be helpful to emphasise very clearly in the relevant manual pages that mysql_fetch_row etc. only returns strings. I've got used to it now, but only after quite some experience, and it still catches me out occasionally through my negligence.

I will see if I can find a place to add that comment myself.

not possible -> bogus (at least not possible right now)