Generic PHP form processor - php

Question

I'm trying to create an elegant form processor that can receive POST OR GET and cycle thru the values and display them. I'd like to make it as simple/elegant as possible, and can't seem to eliminate GET/POST in favor of REQUEST. This code outputs an extra value pair, and I clearly don't understand the relationship of GET/POST to REQUEST. The form includes previous GET information when POST is used (so they seem to overlap) and I'm not sure how to easily NOT include the cookie (I think that's what it is) value. I understand REQUEST is not the best way to do this, but wondering still if there's not a cool way to use it in this fashion. Open to other suggestions.
<h1>
Welcome to the Flexiform! AKA "The Formerator"
</h1>
<p>
This form should process any combination of inputs... this iteration doesn't handle identically-named inputs other than checkboxes. Would like to figure that out.
</p>
<?php
if ($_GET || $_POST)
//if ($_REQUEST) // why can't I use this?... it seems to process the incoming page as GET on firstload...
{
echo ("<h2>Way to '" . $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] . "' some! </h2>");
foreach($_REQUEST as $submittedName => $submittedValue)
{
if (is_array($submittedValue)) // for checkboxes with more than one selected value
{
$submittedValue = implode(', ', $submittedValue);
}
echo "For the <b>" . $submittedName . " input, you submitted: :</b> " . $submittedValue."</br>";
}
}
else
{
echo ("<h2>Please submit one of the two forms to see some results.</h2>");
}
?>
<hr><hr>
<br>
GET SOME!
<form action= "" method = "get" >
<input type = "text" name = "name" value = "GIcabad" />
<input type = "text" name = "name2" value = "GIcabad2" />
<input type = "text" name = "name3" value = "GIcabad3" />
<input type = "text" name = "name" value = "GIcabadbb" />
<input type = "text" name = "name2" value = "GIcabad2bb" />
<input type = "text" name = "name3" value = "GIcabad3bb" />
orange:<input type = "checkbox" name = "colors[]" value = "orange" checked />
red:<input type = "checkbox" name = "colors[]" value = "red" />
pink:<input type = "checkbox" name = "colors[]" value = "pink" checked />
<input type = "submit" />
</form>
<br>
POST SOME!
<form action = "" method= "post" >
<input type = "text" name = "name" value = "PIcabad" />
<input type = "text" name = "name2" value = "PIcabad2" />
<input type = "text" name = "name3" value = "PIcabad3" />
<input type = "submit" />
</form>

Answer 1

You can loop it once on the main file of your application and store the $_GET and $_POST inside a single variable ( It will act like $_REQUEST but w/o $_COOKIES ). Then you can use it like this
<?php
$input_values = array();
$gpcs = array_merge($_POST, $_GET);
foreach ($gpcs as $key => $value) {
$input_values[$key] = $value;
}
// Then you can use anywhere in your application like this
echo isset($input_values['username'])? $input_values['username']:'';
echo isset($input_values['password'])? $input_values['password']:'';
echo isset($input_values['user_type'])? $input_values['user_type']:'';
?>
Edit: Form and Result
<form action="" method="POST">
<input type="text" name="demo" value="Demo"><br/>
<input type="text" name="demo2" value="Demo 2"><br/>
<input type="text" name="array[]" value="Array 1"><br/>
<input type="text" name="array[]" value="Array 2"><br/>
<input type="text" name="array[]" value="Array 3"><br/>
<input type="text" name="array[]" value="Array 4"><br/>
<input type="submit">
</form>
Array
(
[demo] => Demo
[demo2] => Demo 2
[array] => Array
(
[0] => Array 1
[1] => Array 2
[2] => Array 3
[3] => Array 4
)
)