$stringVal = "12.06";
$stringConvertedToFloat = floatval( $stringVal );
// The floatval function will return the argument converted
// to a float value if the value can be converted.
// IF the value cannot be converted these are the values that will be
// returned:
// Empty Array: returns 0. eg: floatval([]);
// Non-Empty Array: returns 1. eg: floatval(["ab", "12"])
// String with a non-numeric value as the left most character: returns 0. eg: floatval("ab12")
// String with one or more numeric values as the left most characters: returns those characters as a float. eg: floatval("12ab1") will return 12.
// Oh the joys of php