In what scenarios would it be beneficial to use a more general function like getvar() in PHP for handling different types of input data?

When dealing with different types of input data in PHP, it can be beneficial to use a more general function like getvar() to handle the data in a consistent and flexible manner. This function can be used to retrieve variables from various sources such as GET, POST, or COOKIE arrays, making it easier to access and manipulate the data regardless of its origin. By using getvar(), you can streamline your code and avoid repetitive checks for each type of input data.

function getvar($name, $default = null) {
    if(isset($_GET[$name])) {
        return $_GET[$name];
    } elseif(isset($_POST[$name])) {
        return $_POST[$name];
    } elseif(isset($_COOKIE[$name])) {
        return $_COOKIE[$name];
    } else {
        return $default;
    }
}

// Example usage
$username = getvar('username');
$email = getvar('email');