I was trying to make the example as short as possible so it
looks stupid but it clearly demonstrates the problem. 

Two short examples o *correct* behaviour first:

Example 1:
<form action="bug.php?age=12" method=post>
<input type=text size=32 name=sname>
</form>

the form sets age using url path and sname using post. I could use cookies for age but the example longer. The idea is to simultaniously use several different methods to pass the variables. Nothing unusual here.

tarck_vars and register_globals are both on so in bug.php
I have access to $HTTP_GET_VARS[age],$HTTP_POST_VARS[sname] and to $age, $sname. I have no $HTTP_GET_VARS[sname] and $HTTP_POST_VARS[age] and I should not to. So far so good.

Example 2:
let's try the following:

<form action="bug.php?sname=Pupkin" method=post>
<input type=text size=32 name=sname value='Collins'>
</form>

I use the same variable name in both requests.
Now I have $HTTP_GET_VARS[sname] == 'Pupkin' and $HTTP_POST_VARS[sname]='Collins' and that is also correct and that is how can I check what method was used to pass the variable (the global $sname value depends on variables_order ofcourse)

Example 3: the bug

but let's put the variables into array:

<form action="bug?person[age]=12" method=post>
<input type=text size=32 name=person[sname]
</form>

Now I expect to have $person[age],$person[$sname] in my global space and $HTTP_POST_VARS[person][sname],
$HTTP_GET_VARS[person][age]... right?

The bug is that I also have both $HTTP_POST_VARS[person][age] and

$HTTP_GET_VARS[person][sname] defined...

Do you see the problem? person[age] has somehow propagated into $HTTP_POST_VARS while I had no person[age] in my post request... Now I have no way to find how was that variable passed to my script... If I have an person[id] defined in the cookie then I suddenly have also person[age] and person[sname] defined in HTTP_COOKIE_VARS and pesron[id] defined in both POST_VARS and GET_VARS!

looks like a bug for me.

Comments?

oleg