PHP $GLOBALS Last Updated : 31 May, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report $GLOBALS is a built-in PHP superglobal associative array that stores all global variables in a PHP script. It provides a way to access global variables from any scope, including inside functions, classes, or methods, without needing to pass them as arguments or use the global keyword.To access a global variable within a function, you must either declare it as global using the global keyword or reference it through the $GLOBALS array.How Does $GLOBALS Work?Here is a simple example to illustrate why $GLOBALS is needed: PHP <?php $message = "Hello, World!"; function printMessage() { echo $message; // Undefined variable error } printMessage(); ?> Notice: Undefined variable: messageInside printMessage(), $message is undefined because the function has its own local scope.Now, using $GLOBALS: PHP <?php $message = "Hello, World!"; function printMessage() { echo $GLOBALS['message']; // Access global variable directly } printMessage(); ?> OutputHello, World!The function accesses the global variable $message through $GLOBALS['message'].Accessing and Modifying Global Variables Using $GLOBALSYou can not only read but also change global variables inside functions via $GLOBALS. PHP <?php $count = 5; function incrementCount() { $GLOBALS['count']++; } incrementCount(); incrementCount(); echo $count; // Output: 7 ?> Output7Here, the function increments the global $count by modifying it inside $GLOBALS.When to Use $GLOBALSWhen you need to access or modify global variables inside functions without declaring each one as global.When dealing with many global variables and you want a consistent, readable approach.Useful in procedural code or legacy scripts where passing parameters is impractical.Best Practices for Using $GLOBALSLimit usage to cases where other alternatives (function parameters, class properties) are impractical.Avoid global state whenever possible; encapsulate variables within functions or classes.Use $GLOBALS primarily for small scripts or debugging.Document variables accessed via $GLOBALS are clearly for maintainability. 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