php input question...

[gamesmstr]

I am trying to reduce the page loads in one of the applications of my game.  To do so, I am making greater use of functions, but I have come across an interesting problem.  I need to get input from the user in the form of either pressing a button or clicking a button or a link to indicate an action.  I then want to use that input to call a php function.  You see where I am going with this I am sure.  I know that html and JS are client side and PHP is server side so there is difficulties in the communication between the two.  So here is my question:  Is there a php function to accept input and call a function? Barring that, is there a way to call a php function from a form or href without having to reload the page?

[premiso]

You want to look into AJAX, check out the AJAX forum, or do a simple google. You should find mounds of tutorials on it.