Description:
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These are suggestions for PHP 6.0.

A tolerant variable, unlike a scalar, has an assigned type.  If a value is 
placed in a tolerant variable of the wrong type it silently casts it to the 
correct type. It would require a new language keyword, "tolerant".

tolerant string $a = 'hello';
$a = false;
echo $a // echos the string value of false, '' 

A strict variable behaves much the same but triggers an error (or throws 
exception) rather than silently recasting. It requires a new keyword "strict"

strict int $a = 5;
$a = false; // exception thrown.

The purpose of these var types is to build a better bridge between undata-typed 
programming used by beginning coders and strict data-typed programming used by 
veterans without forcing the former camp to adjust - PHP's strength is ease of 
learning.

Tolerant functions apply the recasting to their incoming arguments according to 
the datatypes hinted for the objects - if the value isn't of the appropriate 
object a new object ob the type hinted is created receiving that value as an 
argument.

Strict functions throw errors but can also overload sharing names with each 
other so long as no two strict functions try to have both the same name and 
argument types. So

strict function foo ( int $a ) {}
strict function foo ( string $a ) {}
strict function foo ( MyClass $a ) {}

would be possible.