In the context of PHP, what are the differences between using $HTTP_GET_VARS and $_GET to retrieve variables passed through URLs?

In PHP, $HTTP_GET_VARS is a deprecated way of accessing variables passed through URLs. It is recommended to use the superglobal $_GET array instead, as it is more secure and efficient. To retrieve variables passed through URLs, always use $_GET to ensure compatibility and security.

// Using $_GET to retrieve variables passed through URLs
$variable = $_GET['variable_name'];