How to check the type of a variable's value?

[gwolgamott]

Hopefully quick question.

I'm using variables that sometimes are arrays too if collection.

What I want to know is there a fucntion that checks the value to see whether it is or not a an array?

 

For example here's my sudo code

$bob = $input;  // INPUT is either a string or a set of strings 

if($bob == to an array of strings) {Call function to collect data}

else {do something else and break}

[premiso]

is_array checks a value to see if it is an array or not.