Can anyone explain the following PHP Code?
<p>Can anyone explain the following PHP Code ?</p>

<pre><code>function get_param($param_name, $param_type = 0)
    {
      global $HTTP_POST_VARS, $HTTP_GET_VARS;

      $param_value = "";
     if (isset($_POST)) {
       if (isset($_POST[$param_name]) &amp;&amp; $param_type != GET)
         $param_value = $_POST[$param_name];
       elseif (isset($_GET[$param_name]) &amp;&amp; $param_type != POST)
         $param_value = $_GET[$param_name];
     } else {
       if (isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[$param_name]) &amp;&amp; $param_type != GET)
         $param_value = $HTTP_POST_VARS[$param_name];
       elseif (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS[$param_name]) &amp;&amp; $param_type != POST)
         $param_value = $HTTP_GET_VARS[$param_name];
     }

     return strip($param_value);
    }

function strip($value)
    {
     if (get_magic_quotes_gpc() == 0) {
         return $value;
     } else {
      return stripslashes($value);
     }
    }
</code></pre>

<p><hr /></p>

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong></p>

<p>It is used like this:  </p>

<pre><code>$xml = get_param('xml');
</code></pre>
