PHP Superglobals

$_GET, $_POST, $_SERVER and friends.

❮ Previous Next ❯

Superglobals are built-in arrays available everywhere in your script:

$_GET: values from the URL query string (?name=Ali).
$_POST: values from a submitted form (method="post").
$_REQUEST: GET + POST + COOKIE.
$_SERVER: server and request info, e.g. $_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"].
$_SESSION, $_COOKIE, $_FILES, $_ENV, $GLOBALS

Never trust superglobal input. Validate it, and escape it with htmlspecialchars() before printing.

Key Takeaways: PHP Superglobals

Mastering PHP Superglobals helps you write clean and reliable PHP code. Follow standard conventions, test edge cases, and keep logic simple. Try running the code example below and complete the exercises to build confidence.

PHP Superglobals Code Example

PHP

<?php
// URL: page.php?name=Ali&city=Lahore
$name = htmlspecialchars($_GET["name"] ?? "Guest");
$city = htmlspecialchars($_GET["city"] ?? "unknown");

echo "Hello $name from $city<br>";
echo "Method: " . $_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"];

Output