How can the use of deprecated variables like $HTTP_POST_VARS be avoided in favor of newer PHP features like $_POST?

Using deprecated variables like $HTTP_POST_VARS can be avoided by using newer PHP features like $_POST. To do this, simply replace all instances of $HTTP_POST_VARS with $_POST in your code. This will ensure compatibility with newer versions of PHP and prevent any potential issues that may arise from using deprecated variables.

// Before
$value = $HTTP_POST_VARS['key'];

// After
$value = $_POST['key'];