PHP Superglobal or Super Global Variables Uses and Example

PHP Superglobal Variables

The scope of the superglobal variables is everywhere. List of variables in a particular super global variables depends on the state of the PHP application.

PHP have Predefined “Super Global” variables for some specific purpose. Below list shows PHP superglobal variables-

  • $GLOBALS
  • $_SERVER
  • $_REQUEST
  • $_POST
  • $_GET
  • $_FILES
  • $_ENV
  • $_COOKIE
  • $_SESSION

PHP $GLOBALS superglobal Variable

PHP $GLOBALS Variable is used to access the variable from anywhere in the PHP Script. You have to use the GLOBALS keyword before the variable.

Example -1 PHP $GLOBALS Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
   
  </head>
  
  <body>
	<?php 
		$x = 10;
		$y = 20;
		
		function multiplication()
		{
				$GLOBALS['z'] = $GLOBALS['x'] + $GLOBALS['y']; 
		}
         multiplication();
		 echo "The multiplication is " . $z; 
    ?>
  </body>
</html>

In the above example, we have 2 local variables and we use these variable inside a function by using “GLOBALS” keyword.

PHP Superglobals
Fig.1 – PHP Superglobals.

PHP $_SERVER Super Global Variables

PHP $_SERVER Superglobal Variable which contains information about the header, paths, script location etc. and these pieces of information are collecting from the web server.

Example – 2 PHP $_SERVER Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
   
  </head>
  
  <body>
	<?php 
		echo $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'];
		echo "<br>";
		echo $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'];
		echo "<br>";
		echo $_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'];
		echo "<br>";
		echo $_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME'];
    ?>
  </body>
</html>

In the above example, we use $_SERVER variable to know the information about the server.

PHP Superglobal $_SERVER Variables
Fig.2 – PHP Superglobal $_SERVER.

Others Parameters of $_SERVER Superglobal Variable

Parameters Description
$_SERVER[‘PHP_SELF’] Replay with the filename of the currently executing script
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_ADDR’] Replay with the IP address of the host server.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_NAME’] Replay with the name of the host server.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_SOFTWARE’] Replay with the server identification string.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_PROTOCOL’] Replay with the name and revision of the information protocol.
$_SERVER[‘GATEWAY_INTERFACE’] Replay with the version of the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) the server is using
$_SERVER[‘REQUEST_METHOD’] Replay with the request method used to access the page (such as POST).
$_SERVER[‘REQUEST_TIME’] Replay with the timestamp of the start of the request.
$_SERVER[‘QUERY_STRING’] Replay with the query string if the page is accessed via a query string
$_SERVER[‘HTTP_ACCEPT’] Replay with the Received header from the current request.
$_SERVER[‘HTTP_ACCEPT_CHARSET’] Replay with the Received Charset header from the current request.
$_SERVER[‘HTTP_HOST’] Replay with the Host header from the current request.
$_SERVER[‘HTTPS’] To know the request type it is https request or http request where https means secured request.
$_SERVER[‘HTTP_REFERER’] Replay with the complete URL of the page through which the current page was called.
$_SERVER[‘REMOTE_ADDR’] Returns the IP address of the client or visitor computer.
$_SERVER[‘REMOTE_HOST’] Returns the name of HOST .
$_SERVER[‘REMOTE_PORT’] Return the Port number of the communicating request port from the client computer.
$_SERVER[‘SCRIPT_FILENAME’] Replay with the absolute pathname of the currently executing script.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_ADMIN’] Return the e-mail of the administrator of the web server.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_PORT’] Return the port number of the communicating request port from the server.
$_SERVER[‘SERVER_SIGNATURE’] Returns the server-version and virtual host name.
$_SERVER[‘PATH_TRANSLATED’] Returns the path of the file based systems.
$_SERVER[‘SCRIPT_NAME’] Replay with the path of the current running script.
$_SERVER[‘SCRIPT_URI’] Returns the URI of the script.

PHP $_GET Superglobal Variable

All the information or parameter submitted from a form are stored in the $_GET Superglobal Variable if the method of the form is “get”.

Example – 3 PHP $_GET Example

<!--  Login Page -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
   
  </head>
  
  <body>
		<form  method="get" action="processlogin.php">
		First name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="firstname"><br />
		Last name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="lastname"><br /><br/>
		<input type="submit" value="Submit">
		</form>
		
   </body>
  </body>
</html>
<!-- Process(processlogin.php) page -->
<?php
	print_r ($_GET);
	echo "<br />";
    $firstname = $_GET['firstname'];
	$lastname = $GET['lastname'];
    if (empty($firstname)) {
        echo "Name is empty";
    } else {
        echo $firstname . " " . $lastname;;
    }
?>


In the above example, we use the $_GET variable to collect the information from the form. When the user submits the page after clicking on the submit button this $_GET variable collect the values from the input field.

PHP $_GET Super Global Variable
Fig.3 – PHP $_GET Super Global Variable

PHP $_POST Super Global

All the information or parameter submitted from a form are stored in the $_POST Superglobal Variable if the method of the form is “post”.

Example – 4 PHP $_POST Example

<!--  Login Page -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
   
  </head>
  
  <body>
		<form  method="post" action="processlogin.php">
		First name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="firstname"><br />
		Last name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="lastname"><br /><br/>
		<input type="submit" value="Submit">
		</form>
		
   </body>
  </body>
</html>
<!-- Process(processlogin.php) page -->
<?php
	print_r ($_POST);
	echo "<br />";
    $firstname = $_POST['firstname'];
	$lastname = $_POST['lastname'];
    if (empty($firstname)) {
        echo "Name is empty";
    } else {
        echo $firstname . " " . $lastname;;
    }
?>


PHP $_POST Super Global Variable
Fig.4 – PHP $_POST Superglobal

PHP $_REQUEST

All the information or parameter submitted from a form are stored in the $_REQUEST Superglobal Variable if the method of the form is “get” or “post”.

Example – 5 PHP $_REQUEST Example

<!--  Login Page -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
   
  </head>
  
  <body>
		<form  method="post" action="processlogin.php">
		First name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="firstname"><br />
		Last name:<br>
		<input type="text" name="lastname"><br /><br/>
		<input type="submit" value="Submit">
		</form>
		
   </body>
  </body>
</html>
<!-- Process(processlogin.php) page -->
<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    // collect value of input field
	print_r ($_REQUEST);
    $firstname = $_REQUEST['firstname'];
	$lastname = $_REQUEST['lastname'];
    if (empty($firstname)) {
        echo "Name is empty";
    } else {
        echo $firstname . " " . $lastname;;
    }
}
?>

In the above example, we use the $_REQUEST variable to collect the information from the form. When the user submits the page after clicking on the submit button this $_REQUEST variable collect the values from the input field.

$_COOKIE Super Global Variables

$_SESSION Superglobal

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