PHP Form Handling

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Form handling is the process of:

  • Displaying an HTML form
  • Collecting user input
  • Sending data to a PHP script
  • Processing or storing that data
php-form-handling

HTML Form Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Simple Form</title>
</head>
<body>
    <form action="process.php" method="POST">
        Name: <input type="text" name="username"><br><br>
        Email: <input type="email" name="email"><br><br>
        <input type="submit" value="Submit">
    </form>
</body>
</html>
Run ›

Explanation:

  • action="process.php": sends form data to process.php file
  • method="POST": The method="POST" attribute sends user data securely through the HTTP request body.

PHP Script to Handle Form Data (process.php)

<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $name = $_POST["username"];
    $email = $_POST["email"];

    echo "Name: $name<br>";
    echo "Email: $email";
}
?>

Form Handling Methods: GET vs POST

Method Description Use For
GET Appends data to the URL Search, bookmarking
POST Sends data invisibly in HTTP body Login, registration

Superglobals for Form Handling

Variable Use
$_POST Handles form data via POST
$_GET Handles form data via GET
$_REQUEST Handles both GET and POST
$_SERVER Info about request/method
notepad
  • Construct an HTML form by adding input fields and specifying both action and method attributes.
  • Use either the POST or GET method to transfer data to a PHP script.
  • Process the incoming data by accessing it through the $_POST or $_GET superglobals.
  • Make sure to sanitize and validate input data before you display or store it.
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