PHP: $_REQUEST, $_POST, $_GET

Last update on August 19 2022 21:50:39 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

PHP: $_REQUEST

Description

$_REQUEST is a super global variable which is widely used to collect data after submitting html forms.

Here is an example:

<html>
<head>
<title>Php contact form</title>
</head>
<body>
<form name="contact" method="post" action="contact.php">
<table bgcolor=cornsilk style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" >
<tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>
&nbsp;</td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right">
<b><font color=#CC0000>*</font><font color=#004080> Name:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="name"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right"><b><font color=#CC0000>*</font><font color=#004080> Email:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Email"></b></font></td></tr>

<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right"><b><font color="#004080">Address:</font></b></td><td align="right">
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Company" style="float: left"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right">
<b><font color="#004080">Contact No:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Phone"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt">
<font color="#004080"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Message</b></font><b><font color="#006600">:</font></b></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center><textarea name="Message" rows=5 cols=35></textarea></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center><input class="formbutton" type=submit name="send" value="Submit"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt"><small>A <font color=red>*</font> indicates a field is required</small></td></tr>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>

Now in contact.php we can collect the data entered by the user in different fields using $_RQUEST. Suppose we want to see what data have been entered by the user in the name field, then code to do that will be:

<?php
$name=$_REQUEST['name'];
echo $name;
?>

Here is the output of the contact form:
In the contact.html file above, we have used POST as a method to send data from the form. But php allows us to use $_GET and $_COOKIE also.

PHP: $_POST

Description

$_POST is a super global variable which is widely used to pass variables. This super global variable is widely used to handle form data.

We will see an example where a particular php script is executed if after the form is submitted to another php script.

Here is an example:

<html>
<head>
<title>Php contact form</title>
</head>
<body>
<form name="contact" method="post" action="next.php">
<table bgcolor=cornsilk style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" >
<tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>
&nbsp;</td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right">
<b><font color=#CC0000>*</font><font color=#004080> Name:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Name"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right"><b><font color=#CC0000>*</font><font color=#004080> Email:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Email"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right"><b><font color="#004080">Address:</font></b></td><td align="right">
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Company" style="float: left"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt" align="right">
<b><font color="#004080">Contact No:</font></b></td><td>
<font color="#006600"><b><input size=25 name="Phone"></b></font></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt">
<font color="#004080"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Message</b></font><b><font color="#006600">:</font></b></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center><textarea name="Message" rows=5 cols=35></textarea></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center><input class="formbutton" type=submit name="send" value="Submit"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan=2 align=center style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt"><small>A <font color=red>*</font> indicates a field is required</small></td></tr>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>

Now in next.php it is checked first whether the form is submitted by checking if whether the submit button is pressed to generate a value which is the name of the button.

If the submit button is pressed, then another php script which prints a message is included in the next.php file. So. if the form contact-post.html is submitted, you should be able to see the message written to be displayed in msg.php file.

Code of msg.php file:.

<?php
echo "YOU have submitted the form"; 
?>

<?php
if ($_POST['send'])
include ('msg.php');
?>

PHP: $_GET

Description

$_GET is a super global variable which can be used to do the same job done by POST. But besides, $_GET can do some other wonderful jobs as far as passing data is concerned.

We will see an example where a some data is being sent through a link. And then those data are collected.

Here is an example:

<html>
<head>
<title>Php contact form</title>
</head>
<body>
<a href="get-pass.php?r=w3resourse.com&s=online-tutorial">This is to send data</a>  

</body>
</html>

Code of get-pass.php file:

<?php 
echo $_GET['r']."is an ".$_GET['s'];
?>

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