Which operator checks for strict equality between two values?

The operator that checks for strict equality between two values is the triple equals sign, often referred to as the strict equality operator (===). This operator checks both the value and the type of the operands being compared. For example, when using strict equality, the string "5" is not considered equal to the number 5 because they are of different types. This ensures that both the value and type must match for the comparison to return true.

In contrast, the double equals sign (==) performs type coercion before comparison, meaning it attempts to convert the values to the same type before checking for equality, which can lead to unexpected results. The other two options, representing inequality checks, do not perform equality checks at all, as they are used to compare whether values are not equal rather than whether they are equal with type consideration. Thus, the triple equals operator is essential for scenarios where precise type checking is critical to the logic of the program.