PHP - $_POST variables mixing with variables having the same name

Question

On the same page I have

$hello = 'Hello!';
$_POST['hello'] = '123';

If I echo $hello, instead of getting 'Hello!' I get '123'. How should I handle variables and $_POST variables with the same name?

This is an example of the real problem:

I have a signup form that looks like this (here's a minified sample of fields). Each input field has a label and the string variable in the label has the same name as the input.

<form id="form1" action="post.php">
  <span class="label"><?=$fullname?></span>
  //$fullname='Please enter your name';
  <input name="fullname" id="fullname" type="text">

  <span class="label"><?=$email?></span>
  //$email='Please enter your email';
  <input name="email" id="email" type="text">

  <input name="button1" id="button1" type="submit">
</form>

When I submit the form I post it to the same page and I display the values the user had filled out. Only that now, instead of $fullname displaying the value of the variable $fullname, it displays the value of $_POST['fullname']. Why does this happen?

Yervand Aghababyan · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-21 12:46:15Z

5

probably you have register_globals turned on which is something that has been advised against for years already :) see here for details: http://php.net/manual/en/security.globals.php

answered Feb 21, 2013 at 12:46

Yervand Aghababyan

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Comments

Manuel · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-21 12:46:19Z

3

The problem probably lies with register_globals in php's .ini file. Turn this off, restart php and it should be fixed.

Try this to check the setting at the moment of execution of the code:

echo ini_get("register_globals");

answered Feb 21, 2013 at 12:46

Manuel

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10 Comments

bikey77 Over a year ago

It's actually set to off. That's the first thing I checked.

Manuel Over a year ago

try the ini_get method i added to see the value at the moment of executing your code.

Yervand Aghababyan Over a year ago

yeah, it should be register_globals. I know of nothing else that produces this behavior,

bikey77 Over a year ago

Like I said, register_globals is off. img203.imageshack.us/img203/1341/clipa.jpg

Manuel Over a year ago

It's possible to set it while running the code (ini_set("register_globals", "true")). That is why I advised to check it at runtime. Maybe some library of some sort is doing it without you noticing.

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Kirill Zorin · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-21 12:46:06Z

1

You must to set method="POST" attribute in form declaration. And may be you have register_globals option is enabled.

answered Feb 21, 2013 at 12:46

Kirill Zorin

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Comments

anubhava · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-21 12:46:19Z

1

Check your php.ini for the register_globals setting. It is most likely set to on, you should turn it off.

answered Feb 21, 2013 at 12:46

anubhava

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1 Comment

bikey77 Over a year ago

It's actually set to off. That's the first thing I checked.

itsid · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-21 12:54:19Z

1

Well if register_superglobals is off then you are doing similar in your script

like

foreach($_REQUEST as $key => $val) // or $_POST or $_GET
    $$key = $val;

answered Feb 21, 2013 at 12:54

itsid

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