How can PHP variables be used to store and manipulate data from a form input?

PHP variables can be used to store data from a form input by accessing the input values through the $_POST superglobal array. To manipulate the data, you can perform operations on the variables using PHP functions or custom logic. By using PHP variables, you can easily store, process, and output form input data within your application.

<?php
// Retrieve form input data using $_POST superglobal
$inputValue = $_POST['input_name'];

// Manipulate the data, for example, converting to uppercase
$uppercaseValue = strtoupper($inputValue);

// Output the manipulated data
echo "Original input: " . $inputValue . "<br>";
echo "Uppercase value: " . $uppercaseValue;
?>