blah.php
<?php

	print_r( $HTTP_GET_VARS );
	print_r( $_GET );

	echo "<hr>";
	$_GET['test'] = 1;
	echo "<hr>";

	print_r( $HTTP_GET_VARS );
	print_r( $_GET );

?>

Results from blah.php
---------------------
Array ( ) Array ( ) 
Array ( ) Array ( [test] => 1 )

Results from blah.php?test=test
---------------------
Array ( [test] => test ) Array ( [test] => test ) 
Array ( [test] => test ) Array ( [test] => 1 ) 


Aside from the performance/memory implications of having two separate arrays (ie: http://blah.com/blah.php?text=[shakespeare]&spell_check=1), it's really annoying when trying to propagate information to a moduralized script which normally takes data off the get-string.

Here is my patch:  $_GET =& $HTTP_GET_VARS;   It halves the memory requirements of PHP's default arrays, and behaves much closer to what an end-user would expect.  I am willing to bet that NOBODY wants $_GET['blah'] = 'test'; echo $HTTP_GET_VARS['blah']; to fail in mysterious ways.

Why is this not done in the first place?  I have checked on the mailing lists and in the bug archives, but couldn't find any previous discussion.  Send me an email at ramses0@yahoo.com if there is a good reason for this, or if I am missing something important.