get the name of the current $_GET variable

Question

I want to know what URL user has accessed. For example, if user accessed:

index.php?register

it will echo '1'.

if (isset($_GET))
{
    switch ($_GET)
    {
        case "register":
            echo 1;
        break;
    }
}

But it doesn't do anything, why? How do you get the name of the first GET element?

You are case-ing where `$_GET = register` which is never true. You need to foreach through the array in key=>value pairs to check where `switch($key) { case "register" ` — Royal Bg, Jul 17 '13 at 13:57
`array_keys`, `$_REQUEST`, `isset($_GET['register'])`, `array_key_exists($_GET, 'register')`... tried any of those? — Elias Van Ootegem, Jul 17 '13 at 13:58
`$_GET` is an array. You need to loop through it and read the key(s). — gen_Eric, Jul 17 '13 at 13:59
1. `$_GET` is always set. 2. `$_GET` is an array and can't be used as `string`. 3. You may want to have: `index.php?act=register` and use `switch ($_GET['act']) {...}`. 4. 3 is fast solution but awful. — Leri, Jul 17 '13 at 13:59

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 17 '13 at 13:59

$_GET is an array. You'd need to place that switch statement inside a foreach loop:

foreach ($_GET as $k => $v) {
    switch ($k) {
        case 'register':
            echo 1;
        break;
    }
}

Also, the $_GET superglobal is always set – there's no need for if (isset($_GET)) {

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:06

You could use array_keys() to get the keys for each $_GET, then use the 0 index to determine what you wanted to do with the first key:

if($_GET){
    $keys = array_keys($_GET);
    switch ($keys[0]){
        case "register":
            echo 1;
        break;
    }   
}

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:04

1

$_GET is a superglobal array. It's always set, and always an array.

If you know that register will always be the 1st GET element, then you can do this:

reset($_GET);
switch (key($_GET)){
    case "register":
        echo 1;
    break;
}

_{Docs for key(): http://php.net/key}

answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:04

gen_Eric

What if something before `switch` moved pointer? – Leri Jul 17 '13 at 14:07
1

@PLB: I'm assuming the pointer of `$_GET` wasn't moved but, I added `reset($_GET);` :-) – gen_Eric Jul 17 '13 at 14:07

Ghilas BELHADJ · Answer 4 · 2013-07-17T14:25:34.147

-3

$_GET is an associative array, so it's structured in key=value elements

you can either use this URL: index.php?page=register with this code:

if (isset($_GET['page']))
{
    switch ($_GET['page'])
    {
        case "register":
            echo 1;
        break;
    }
}

OR with this URL index.php?register use this code:

foreach ($_GET as $key => $value) {
    switch ($key) {
        case 'register':
            echo 1;
        break;
    }
}

edited Jul 17 '13 at 14:25

answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:00

Ghilas BELHADJ

There is **no reason** to do this... – Naftali Jul 17 '13 at 14:00
1

You can do `index.php?register`. It just makes `$_GET['register']` a blank string. – gen_Eric Jul 17 '13 at 14:00
@Neal Must you downvote everything you see? – samayo Jul 17 '13 at 14:05
@Simon_eQ if it is wrong? Yes. – Naftali Jul 17 '13 at 14:05
@Neal It seems like, you don't know what wrong means either.. – samayo Jul 17 '13 at 14:06
@Simon_eQ: it's not wrong, it's just an other way to do! – Ghilas BELHADJ Jul 17 '13 at 14:08
@GhilasBELHADJ I don't know what you mean. I was referring to Neal's comments, that he deleted. Not yours. – samayo Jul 17 '13 at 14:38

4 Answers4