FILTER_INPUT(3) 							 1							   FILTER_INPUT(3)

filter_input - Gets a specific external variable by name and optionally filters it

SYNOPSIS

       mixed filter_input (int	$type, string  $variable_name, [int  $filter = FILTER_DEFAULT], [mixed	$options])

DESCRIPTION

PARAMETERS

	      o $type
		- One of INPUT_GET, INPUT_POST, INPUT_COOKIE, INPUT_SERVER, or INPUT_ENV.

	      o $variable_name
		- Name of a variable to get.

	      o $filter
		-  The ID of the filter to apply. The "Types of filters" manual page lists the available filters.  If omitted, FILTER_DEFAULT will
		be used, which is equivalent to FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW. This will result in no filtering taking place by default.

	      o $options
		- Associative array of options or bitwise disjunction of flags. If filter accepts options, flags can be provided in "flags"  field
		of array.

RETURN VALUES

	Value of the requested variable on success, FALSE if the filter fails, or NULL if the $variable_name variable is not set. If the flag FIL-
       TER_NULL_ON_FAILURE is used, it returns FALSE if the variable is not set and NULL if the filter fails.

EXAMPLES

       Example #1

	      A filter_input(3) example

	      <?php
	      $search_html = filter_input(INPUT_GET, 'search', FILTER_SANITIZE_SPECIAL_CHARS);
	      $search_url = filter_input(INPUT_GET, 'search', FILTER_SANITIZE_ENCODED);
	      echo "You have searched for $search_html.
";
	      echo "<a href='?search=$search_url'>Search again.</a>";
	      ?>

	      The above example will output something similar to:

	      You have searched for Me &#38; son.
	      <a href='?search=Me%20%26%20son'>Search again.</a>

SEE ALSO

       filter_var(3), filter_input_array(3), filter_var_array(3), "Types of filters".

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