Detecting when variables set in POST and GET?

Anon

I want to generically check whether any variables have been set in POST or GET on a page.

Right now I'm doing something like this:

if (isset($submit))
{
// foo
}

I would rather do something more generic so I can reuse it on all pages like:

if (sizeof($HTTP_POST_VARS) == 0) {
// foo
}

However when passing variables through GET in the URL, sizeof($HTTP_POST_VARS) = 0 and I"m not sure why that is.

Any help would be appreciated.

Anon

You should have this as the first line (this will override the php.ini if track is not set):

<?php_track_vars?>

Then:
if ((sizeof($HTTP_POST_VARS) == 0) && (sizeof($HTTP_GET_VARS) == 0)) {
// foo
}

Seems like if you want to see if there are GET vars you have to include it specifically in the statement. Pretty sure about this.

--ph

Anon

What exactly does:

<? php_track_vars ?>

do?

Anon

Mike Hall said n this thread:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/forum/read.php3?num=1&id=100210&thread=100138:
-------<snip>--------
Okay, normally $HTTP_GET_VARS (and POST and COOKIE equivalents) is created for any script.

However some PHP hosts, for reasons best known to themselves, disable these arrays by setting track_vars = off in the php3.ini file.

Starting your script with <?php_track_vars?> will override the track_vars setting in the ini file and make $HTTP_GET_VARS availiable again.

Mike
-------<snip>--------
And there's more:

From this site:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/language.variables.external.php

"If PHP's track_vars feature is turned on, either by the track_vars configuration setting or the <?php_track_vars?> directive, then variables submitted via the POST or GET methods will also be found in the global associative arrays $HTTP_POST_VARS and $HTTP_GET_VARS as appropriate."

See the red text by the "Press Once To Submit" button...

"Please do a search before posting."
--ph

Anon

One solution is to do this:

if(!isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[user])) $HTTP_POST_VARS[user] = $HTTP_GET_VARS[user];

Anon

Ofcourse sizeofof($HTTP_POST_VARS)==0 when you pass variables though GET.
GET Variables end up in $HTTP_GET_VARS. That is why it is called HTTP_GET_VARS. Get it? 🙂

Anon

Frederik is right -- this is the fastest, most elegant solution to your problem.

Cut and paste this snippet into your toolbox. You'll need it again sometime, guaranteed.

if(!isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[user])) $HTTP_POST_VARS[user] = $HTTP_GET_VARS[user];

--ph

Anon

What does the $HTTP_POST_VARS[user] and $HTTP_GET_VARS[user] refer to?

I'm assuming variables not set by the system itself or something?

Anon

Also, why are we setting:

$HTTP_POST_VARS[user] = $HTTP_GET_VARS[user];

Isn't this setting the POST vars to the GET vars? why?

Anon

RTFM

Anon

Under what? It's a little difficult finding help in teh manual when I don't really konw what to search for =)

Anon

The manual tells you how variables from forms are passed to PHP.

We copy the HTTP_GET_VARS to HTTP_POST_VARS,
so the rest of the script can work with just HTTP_POST_VARS

This is a littel compfusing, that's why I usually copy
HTTP_POST_VARS of HTTP_GET_VARS to HTTP_FORM_VARS

After you copy tyhe post or get to HTTP_FORM_VARS,
the rest of your script can simply refer to HTTP_FORM_VARS.

Get it? 🙂

Anon

But why even bother copying everything to $HTTP_GET_VARS (or $HTTP_FORM_VARS). Is it just to make it easier in the sense that everything is in one of the arrays and not all 3?

Anon

Yes