Best practice for handling POST request in PHP - php

Question

I'm working on a PHP project which has many pages calling a POST request, such as login, register, commenting and etc.
I've tried processing all POST requests in a single file named post.php, with each request containing 'formtype' parameter, like so,
$formtype = $_POST['formtype'];
if ($formtype == "register") {
register_function_here();
} else if ($formtype == 'login') {
login_function_here();
} else {
die("Error: No FORMTYPE");
}
and I've also tried having separate files for separate functions, such as login.php, register.php, comment.php and etc.
Which method is better for processing POST requests?
Are there any disadvantages for processing all POST requests in a single file, as I've done?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I guess you mean you do not want to:
GET index.php
POST user/register.php
POST user/login.php
index.php
user/
register.php
login.php
404.php
What #ArtisticPhoenix about the MVC (model, view, controller) is actually what you tried. Well, for the Controller part i mean.
You try to create router.
You could do that. If you are new to coding and you got time i even would say: do it.
If you dont have time and need a solution then i suggest searching a framework - at least for routing.
To get started:
First i found was this: https://www.taniarascia.com/the-simplest-php-router/
If you want to go further then you SHOULD start using OOP.
A class is then a controller, a method an action.
(some got like every action is a class like zend expressive framework).
Example:
Create a routing config
// file: config/routes.php
return [
'routes' => [
[
'path' => "/login",
'class' => LoginController::class,
'method' => 'loginAction',
'allowed_methods' => ['POST'],
],
[
'path' => "/logout",
'class' => LoginController::class,
'method' => 'logoutAction',
'allowed_methods' => ['GET', 'POST'],
],
// ...
],
];
Create Controllers
// file: Controller/LoginController.php
namespace Controller;
class LoginController
{
public function loginAction()
{
// ...
}
public function logoutAction()
{
// ...
}
}
Now use the requested path and route it to the controller.
If no route found then return a HTTP 404 "Not Found" response .
// file: index.php
// load routing config
$routes = require 'config/routes.php';
// ...
// ... this now is up to you.
// you should search in the config if the requested path exists
// and if the request is in the allowed_methods
// and then create a new controller and call the method.

Answer 2

I strongly recommend Object Oriented Programming, using classes, one source file per class.