How important is it to include a form element in PHP when handling POST data?

It is important to include a form element in PHP when handling POST data because forms are the standard way to send data from a web page to a server. Without a form element, there would be no way for users to input data that can be sent via POST method. Including a form element ensures that the data is structured correctly and can be easily accessed in the PHP script.

<form method="post" action="process_form.php">
    <input type="text" name="username">
    <input type="password" name="password">
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>