How to handle multiple checkboxes in a PHP form?

Question

I have multiple checkboxes on my form:

<input type="checkbox" name="animal" value="Cat" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal" value="Dog" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal" value="Bear" />

If I check all three and hit submit, with the following code in the PHP script:

if(isset($_POST['submit']) {
   echo $_POST['animal'];
}

I get "Bear", i.e. the last chosen checkbox value even though I picked all three. How to get all 3?

Answer 1

<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Cat" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Dog" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Bear" />

If I check all three and hit submit, with the following code in the PHP script:

if(isset($_POST['animal'])){
    foreach($_POST['animal'] as $animal){
        echo $animal;
    }
}

Answer 2

See the changes I have made in the name:

<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Cat" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Dog" />
<input type="checkbox" name="animal[]" value="Bear" />

you have to set it up as array.

print_r($_POST['animal']);