GETPOST

GETPOST is a term used in web development to refer to a small input handling utility that retrieves parameters from HTTP requests. It is designed to provide a single, unified way to access data sent to a web application via either the GET query string or the POST request body, with the goal of simplifying input handling and promoting consistent validation.

In typical implementations, GETPOST accepts the name of a request parameter and may also support optional defaults or filtering. A common behavior is to return the value from POST if present, otherwise from GET, and to fall back to a specified default when the parameter is absent. Some variants also offer an optional type or filter argument to apply basic sanitization or type conversion as part of retrieval.

History and usage contexts: The concept originated in early PHP-based CMS and framework code as a convenience wrapper around the superglobals $_GET and $_POST (and sometimes $_REQUEST). It was notably associated with certain content management systems, where module and form developers relied on a consistent helper to read user input. Over time, many modern frameworks have shifted toward explicit access via dedicated request objects and dedicated filtering utilities, reducing reliance on implicit GETPOST-style helpers.

Security and design considerations: While GETPOST can simplify code and reduce boilerplate, it can obscure whether data originated from a URL or a form submission. This has implications for idempotence, caching, and security. Developers are advised to validate and sanitize all input, be mindful of the data source, and follow framework-specific recommendations for request handling.

See also: GET, POST, REQUEST, input filtering, superglobals.