Common Methods to Receive Form Data in PHP

Common Methods to Receive Form Data in PHP

$_GET Method

• Sends data via URL query strings.
• Typically used in GET requests to retrieve query parameters or filter data.
• Access data using $_GET['parameter_name'].

$_POST Method

• Sends data through the HTTP request body.
• Mainly used in POST requests such as submitting forms or uploading files.
• Access data using $_POST['parameter_name'].

$_REQUEST Method

• Receives both GET and POST data.
• Should only be used when the data source is unclear due to security concerns.
• Access data using $_REQUEST['parameter_name'].

file_get_contents('php://input')

• Reads raw data directly from the request body.
• Suitable for receiving JSON, XML, or other non-form data formats.
• Use file_get_contents('php://input') to get the data.

Input Stream

• Available in PHP 7.0 and above.
• Handles more complex input data through reading the input stream.
• Example code:

  $input = file_get_contents('php://input');
  parse_str($input, $_POST);

Summary

Mastering these methods covers most PHP form data reception needs. Choosing the appropriate method based on the application scenario helps improve code efficiency and security.