extracting post, get and MySQL queries

[lives4him06]

What are the standard/ rules for getting specific variables such as get variables, post variables, and variables in MySQL queries.

for post and get i always do:

 
$body = current($HTTP_POST_VARS);
$name = next($HTTP_POST_VARS);

and for mysql queries i always:

extract($row);

after making the query

Is there a way i can simplify this?

[Steveo31]

Can you elaborate? What do you mean "getting variables from mySQL queries"?

I'm confused.

[lives4him06]

for example i would do the following:

$query = "SELECT * FROM forum";

$result = mysql_query($query)
        or die("couldn' execute query.");

$row = mysql_fetch_array($result,MYSQL_ASSOC);

extract($row);