argv - why array / argc - why at all

Caused by the $HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA debate I checked out $argv and $argc, why is the GET information stored in an array? I tried a few things to make the array growing, but stayed with one item (the whole get string) in it. $argc stayed int(1). I guessed that $argc is an argument count and tells how many elements $argv contains, but in my case it was one element only, regardless of stringlength (tested to strlen=20 or so...) The manual wasn´t very generous providing data. regards -- o----------0-¬---------O-·---¬----o---®-----o o O ° . | http://www.kiffen.de | pRoteçt y0ur bRaín |0 O ° ¤ ° · 0°·³°²'²³-¹'³´³°^°³~³²³°'³²²¨³²^³¹³²°²³`³º³°Þ ° o © ° . · | psychedelic experience | gott@kiffen.de | O ° o ° o-¬--o--0-----©-·--O-----o-----0-¤----------o 0 ° · ° . ¤ ·