PHP Question

I'm new to PHP and in the process of converting my ASP code. In the ASP code I have a lot of lines such as <%=[login to view URL]("my_variable")%> my_variable may or may not have been posted. If it hasn't, then in ASP it just returns an empty string which is what I want. However, in PHP when I do something like: if ($HTTP_POST_VARS['my_variable']!='') I get: Notice: Undefined index: my_variable if the value hasn't been posted. So all I need is a small function that I can pass the name of the variable (e.g. my_variable in this case) and it will return the value if it exists, or an empty string if it does not. Since the finished script will be distributed to others, I don't want to have to make changes to any of the PHP ini files, and it should work on all reasonably versions of PHP. Ideally I'm looking for a PHP expert who I can post additional private bids for if I encounter more questions. ## Deliverables 1) Complete and fully-functional working script. 2) Complete ownership and distribution copyrights to all work purchased. ## Platform PHP