If you are a part of the IT ecosystem, then you must have heard about the programming language PHP.
PHP is a server-side scripting language majorly accessed in web development. There are several methods to form a path to communicate between the client and the server. The GET method sends the information and appends them to the page request. Whereas, POST method sends information through HTTP header.
Difference Between GET and POST Method in PHP
Let us dig deeper and understand the usage of these methods in detail.
GET method in PHP
There are two kinds of websites:
- Static
- Dynamic
When we talk about the dynamic website, it has the ability to update, store, delete, and retrieve data from the database. There are instances when you visit a website and a form pops up. You are asked to fill that form with the specified data. This data is stored in the database.
Before sending this information, the browser encodes it via a scheme known as URL encoding. Here, the encoded information is delivered to the server.
In simple words, the GET method sends the encoded information of a user appended with the page request. It creates a long string but can only send 1024 characters in one go.
It is recommended to never use the GET method in case you need to send password-related or any other sensitive information.
Here is a code snippet showcasing the usage of the GET method. Take a look:
<?php
if( $_GET[“name”] || $_GET[“age”] ) {
echo “Welcome “. $_GET[‘name’]. “<br />”;
echo “You are “. $_GET[‘age’]. ” years old.”;
exit();
}
?>
<html>
<body>
<form action = “<?php $_PHP_SELF ?>” method = “GET”>
Name: <input type = “text” name = “name” />
Age: <input type = “text” name = “age” />
<input type = “submit” />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Post method in PHP
The POST method helps to send the information through the HTTP headers. The encoding takes place first as explained in the case of the GET method and inserted into a header known as QUERY_STRING.
In the POST method, there is no limitation on the data size to be sent. This method comes in handy to send both ASCII and binary data.
Entire data sent by the POST method runs through the HTTP header. Therefore, the HTTP protocol is responsible for security. To ensure security regarding your information, you can use Secure HTTP.
Here is a code snippet presenting the usage of the POST method:
<?php
if( $_POST[“name”] || $_POST[“age”] ) {
if (preg_match(“/[^A-Za-z’-]/”,$_POST[‘name’] )) {
die (“invalid name and name should be alpha”);
}
echo “Welcome “. $_POST[‘name’]. “<br />”;
echo “You are “. $_POST[‘age’]. ” years old.”;
exit();
}
?>
<html>
<body>
<form action = “<?php $_PHP_SELF ?>” method = “POST”>
Name: <input type = “text” name = “name” />
Age: <input type = “text” name = “age” />
<input type = “submit” />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Key Differences of GET and POST methods in PHP
Here are the major differences between the two types of methods of PHP in a tabulated manner:
| GET Method | Post Method |
| Sends information by appending them to the page request. | Sends information through the HTTP header. |
| You can send only 1024 characters. | There is no limit on sending the data. |
| Visible in the URL. | Not visible in the URL. |
| Not secure. | Very secure. |
| Can bookmark the page. | Can not bookmark the page. |
Conclusion
This article presented you with information regarding two essential methods in PHP, that is, GET and POST methods. Generally, the developers choose the POST method to send data rather than the GET method as the former is more secure.
The key difference is that the GET method appends the information to the page request, whereas the POST method sends information through the HTTP header.
We hope the information in the article helped you clear down your ambiguities.
Happy learning!
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