Niels Bom

//this function takes an array of strings
//for every string it checks if a variable with that name is set in $_POST $_GET or in $GLOBALS (so at all)
//if it is not set it is created as '' and put into an array
//that array is returned
function ifNotSetMakeEmpty($vars)
{
    $setVars = array();
    foreach($vars as $key => $value)
    {
        //now we check if the given vars are set
        //if it is set, assign it to the array that will be returned
        if(isset($GLOBALS[$value]))//check if a global var with that name is set
        {
            $setVars[$value]=$GLOBALS[$value];
        }
        else if(isset($_POST[$value]))
        {
            $setVars[$value]=$_POST[$value];
        }
        else if(isset($_GET[$value]))
        {
            $setVars[$value]=$_GET[$value];
        }
        else
        {
            $setVars[$value]='';
        }
    }
    return $setVars;
}


//get variables
extract(ifNotSetMakeEmpty(array('foo','bar')));