Happy Coders

In PHP, data can be passed using various methods depending on the need and scope. The most common ways include GET and POST methods for form data, SESSION and COOKIE for storing and sharing data across pages, and function parameters for internal data handling. You can also use includes and associative arrays for modular code and data grouping. Choosing the right method depends on whether the data is temporary, secure, or needs to persist across pages.

1. Function Parameters (within same file)

<?php
function showMessage($text) {
    echo $text;
}

showMessage("Welcome!");
?>

2. Associative Arrays (internal use or function calls)

<?php
$user = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 23];

function displayUser($user) {
    echo "Name: " . $user['name'];
}

displayUser($user);
?>

3. Include with Variables (like layout components)

header.php

<h1><?php echo $pageTitle; ?></h1>

home.php

<?php
$pageTitle = "Home Page";
include 'header.php';
?>

<?php
session_start();
$_SESSION['username'] = "John";
header("Location: about.php");
exit;
?>

<?php
session_start();
echo "Welcome, " . $_SESSION['username'];
?>