What is the difference between GET and POST methods in PHP?

In PHP, GET and POST are two HTTP methods used to send data from a web page to a server. The main difference between GET and POST is how they send the data and how the data is handled on the server side.

Here’s a brief explanation of each:

1. GET: GET method sends data as a query string appended to the URL of the page being requested. The data is visible in the URL and can be bookmarked, cached, and shared with others. In PHP, $_GET superglobal variable is used to access the data sent using the GET method.

Example:

<!-- A web form that uses GET method -->
<form action="process.php" method="GET">
  <label for="name">Name:</label>
  <input type="text" id="name" name="name">
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

<!-- The process.php script that handles the form data -->
<?php
$name = $_GET["name"];
echo "Hello $name!";
?>

2. POST: POST method sends data in the body of the HTTP request, which is not visible in the URL. The data cannot be bookmarked, cached, or shared with others. In PHP, $_POST superglobal variable is used to access the data sent using the POST method.

Example:

<!-- A web form that uses POST method -->
<form action="process.php" method="POST">
  <label for="name">Name:</label>
  <input type="text" id="name" name="name">
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

<!-- The process.php script that handles the form data -->
<?php
$name = $_POST["name"];
echo "Hello $name!";
?>

So, in summary, GET and POST methods are used to send data to a server, and the main difference between them is how the data is sent and handled on the server side. GET is used for non-sensitive data that can be bookmarked or shared, and POST is used for sensitive data that should not be visible in the URL.