Explain file_get_contents('php://input')

android, php

Solution

The information comes from here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/wrappers.php.php

When information is sent to the server via a `POST` request, it is saved in a temporary file.

The command `file_get_contents('php://input')` reads the raw information sent to PHP -- unprocessed before it ever gets put into `$_POST` or `$_REQUEST` super globals.

This technique is often used when someone is uploading a file, such as an image.

EDIT: removed `$_GET`

Problem

I am writing an android app to connect to PHP web service and through my searches in internet I faced `file_get_contents('php://input');` and I understood some parts of it's functionality but I still don't get it. What are `php://input` or `php://stdin` or stuff like that? I've read http://php.net/manual/en/function.file-get-contents.php and I confused much more. Please explain it completely.

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