• The built-in $_GET function is used to collect values from a form sent with method="get". Information sent from a form with the GET method is visible to everyone (it will be displayed in the browser's address bar) and has limits on the amount of information to send.

When to use method="get"?

• When using method="get" in HTML forms, all variable names and values are displayed in the URL.
• However, because the variables are displayed in the URL, it is possible to bookmark the page. This can be useful in some cases.

• The built-in $_POST function is used to collect values from a form sent with method="post". Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to others and has no limits on the amount of information to send.
• However, there is an 8 Mb max size for the POST method, by default (can be changed by setting the post_max_size in the php.ini file).

• Example 

• • The "welcome.php" file can now use the $_POST function to collect form data (the names of the form fields will automatically be the keys in the $_POST array):
  1. <form action="welcome.php" method="post"> 
  2. Name: <input type="text" name="fname" /> 
  3. Age: <input type="text" name="age" /> 
  4. <input type="submit" /> 
  5. </form>

  • Welcome <?php echo $_POST["fname"]; ?>!<br /> 
  • You are <?php echo $_POST["age"]; ?> years old.

• When to use method="post"?

• 
  
  • Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to others and has no limits on the amount of information to send. However, because the variables are not displayed in the URL, it is not possible to bookmark the page.
• • The PHP $_REQUEST Function

• • 
    

  • • The PHP built-in $_REQUEST function contains the contents of both $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE. The $_REQUEST function can be used to collect form data sent with both the GET and POST methods.
    
    

    • Example 

    
    

    1. Welcome <?php echo $_REQUEST["fname"]; ?>!<br /> 
    2. You are <?php echo $_REQUEST["age"]; ?> years old.