In the context of PHP form processing, what are the advantages of using $_POST over $HTTP_POST_VARS and how can it improve code readability?

When processing form data in PHP, it is recommended to use the $_POST superglobal array instead of the deprecated $HTTP_POST_VARS array for better security and performance. Using $_POST improves code readability by clearly indicating that the data is coming from an HTTP POST request.

// Using $_POST superglobal array for form processing
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $username = $_POST["username"];
    $password = $_POST["password"];
    
    // Process form data here
}