# filter_input

(PHP 5 >= 5.2.0, PECL filter:0.11.0)

filter_input — Gets variable from outside PHP and optionally filters it

### Description

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

### Parameters

`type`

  One of `INPUT_GET`, `INPUT_POST`, `INPUT_COOKIE`, `INPUT_SERVER`, `INPUT_ENV`, `INPUT_SESSION` (not implemented yet) and `INPUT_REQUEST` (not implemented yet).

`variable_name`

  Name of a variable to get.

`filter`

  Filter to apply. Defaults to `FILTER_DEFAULT`.

`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 `FILTER_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() 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 $search_html.\n";
echo "<a href='?search=$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()
- filter_input_array()
- filter_var_array()