How to Send a Post Request with PHP

In this guide, we have explained how to send a post request with PHP. Three ways are explained using PHP.

Users can select the one that meets their needs well.

Let us follow the steps:

1. Using PHP Curl:
   The PHP cURL extension provides a straightforward method to combine various flags using setopt() calls. Below is an example utilising an $xml variable, which contains the prepared XML for sending-

   <?php
   
   $url = 'http://api.flickr.com/services/xmlrpc/';
   
   $ch = curl_init($url);
   
   curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
   
   curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $xml);
   
   curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
   
   $response = curl_exec($ch);
   
   curl_close($ch);
   
   ?>

   As observed in the example provided, the process begins by initialising the connection, followed by setting specific options using setopt(). These steps instruct PHP to execute a POST request.

2. Using Pecl_Http:
   Typically, Pecl_Http combines two interfaces: procedural and object-oriented. Let us begin by exploring the procedural interface, which offers a more straightforward approach compared to cURL.
   Below is a script translated for Pecl_Http-

   <?php
   
   $url = 'http://api.flickr.com/services/xmlrpc/';
   
   $response = http_post_data($url, $xml);
   
   ?>

3. Using the Object-Oriented (OO) Interface of Pecl_HTTP:
   As mentioned earlier, the second interface of Pecl_Http is considered object-oriented. While it shares similarities with the two extensions showcased earlier, it employs a separate interface. Here is how its code appears-

   <?php
   
   $url = 'http://api.flickr.com/services/xmlrpc/';
   
   $request = new HTTPRequest($url, HTTP_METH_POST);
   
   $request->setRawPostData($xml);
   
   $request->send();
   
   $response = $request->getResponseBody();
   
   ?>

Although the code appears longer likened to the previous example, it might seem more composite at first glance. However, it offers corresponding power and flexibility. Therefore, it can serve as an outstanding choice for execution in your practice.

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