POST Variable Array and filter_input

Question

While using filter_input, I'm not able to pull in a POST array variable. The POST input:

type              => 'container',
action            => 'edit',
data[display]     => 1,
data[query_limit] => 100

I can access the data variable from the $_POST superglobal correctly as an array, but the filter_input function returns nothing:

$data   = $_POST['data']; // Working, woot
$data   = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'data'); // returns null, should return array
$action = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'action'); // returns "edit" (correctly)

Is it not possible to use filter_input for a POST array variable?

no it is not! php.net/manual/de/function.filter-input-array.php — helle
– helle, Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 5:38

Julian · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-25 09:48:39Z

141

Try :

$data   = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'data', FILTER_DEFAULT, FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY);

Links:

http://php.net/manual/en/function.filter-input.php

http://php.net/manual/en/filter.filters.flags.php

edited Apr 25, 2018 at 9:48

Julian

4,7255 gold badges42 silver badges51 bronze badges

answered Oct 28, 2013 at 14:27

jbrtrnd

3,8435 gold badges26 silver badges41 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

jterry Over a year ago

Nice, works perfectly. Seems like it should be more straightforward than this for something as common as what I'm doing :)

Jeff Vdovjak Over a year ago

Agreed - at least you'd think the php manual would include a note or something.

reformed · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-24 03:49:06Z

14

FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY will return false if the POST variable contains a scalar value. If you're unsure or just intend on the POST variable accepting both scalar and array values, use FILTER_FORCE_ARRAY instead, which will treat any input as an array, essentially casting scalar values accordingly.

$data = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'data', FILTER_DEFAULT, FILTER_FORCE_ARRAY);

answered Jul 24, 2016 at 3:49

reformed

4,82813 gold badges69 silver badges94 bronze badges

Comments

Jørgen Rudolph Låker · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-02 20:02:08Z

2

I have used FormData in javascript and post the fields with jquery ajax. The way I receive all these field is:

$arrFields = array('field1','field2','field2','field3', 'field4','field5');
foreach($arrFields as $field){
   $params[$field] = filter_input(INPUT_POST, $field, FILTER_DEFAULT);
}
var_dump($params);

Then I will get all the data into an array which I can pass on...

answered Apr 2, 2017 at 20:02

Jørgen Rudolph Låker

1581 silver badge6 bronze badges

1 Comment

Vishal Kumar Sahu Over a year ago

try using filter_input_array();

Goddard · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-03 14:24:32Z

2

Alternatively you can do your filtering in one shot...for example

$MY_INPUT = filter_input_array(INPUT_POST, [
    "item_id" => FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT,
    "item_string_code" => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
    "method" => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
    "item_id_array" => array(
        'filter' => FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT,
        'flags' => FILTER_REQUIRE_ARRAY
    )
]);

The result is almost the same as the post data in terms of what you get back except instead of the global $_POST being your variable it will be $MY_INPUT in this case.

answered Jul 3, 2019 at 14:24

Goddard

3,09934 silver badges40 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

POST Variable Array and filter_input

4 Answers 4

2 Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

2 Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related