PHP $_REQUEST and $_SERVER

What Are Superglobals?

Superglobals represent built-in PHP arrays which provide global accessibility throughout the entire script without requiring global keyword declaration.

What is $_REQUEST?

$_REQUEST merges the data from $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE into one associative array.

• $_GET
• $_POST
• $_COOKIE

You can utilize this method to acquire form data through any submission method.

Example

<form action="request_example.php" method="POST">
  Name: <input type="text" name="username">
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form> 

<?php
$name = $_REQUEST['username'];
echo "Welcome, $name!";
?> 

$_REQUEST collects cookie data making it both less secure and less specific

Choose $_POST or $_GET instead for better security and clearer data handling

What is $_SERVER?

The $_SERVER superglobal array holds data about the server environment and the script together with header information.

$_SERVER Variables

Example

<?php
echo "Script Name: " . $_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'] . "<br>";
echo "Server Name: " . $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] . "<br>";
echo "Host: " . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . "<br>";
echo "Request Method: " . $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] . "<br>";
echo "Client IP: " . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . "<br>";
echo "Browser Info: " . $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'];
?> 

Best Way

• The $_REQUEST superglobal should be used when the request method is unknown or during rapid prototyping.
• The $_SERVER superglobal array serves as an essential tool for logging processes and routing mechanisms as well as environment detection and debugging tasks.