cookies and require

Anon

hi everyone,
my problem is simple but yet I cannot seem to find the answer, anyone got any ideas?

I have to set a cookie after using a require statement. My code is as follows and I have ensured that there is no whitespace but it still doesn't seem to work.

include.php3 file:

<?
$database = "*";
$username = "";
$password = "***";
$path = "/usr/local/mysql/bin/";

$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", $username, $password);
mysql_select_db($database, $conn); ?>

page that is trying to set the cookie:

<? require "../../include/include.php3" ?>
<? setcookie("guest_cookie", "value"); ?>

error message generated:

Warning: Oops, php3_SetCookie called after header has been sent
in /webspace/***.com/www/splash/.php3 on line 2

Anon

Cardinal rule - you can NOT add headers to a http connection after sending output with php! To create a cookie from the server side (with php) php is required to send a Set-Cookie: header. The only available workaround for your situation is to set the cookie using javascript inside the page. Otherwise, move that line above the require(). Hope that helps.

Chris King

Anon

Hi Chris,
don't ask me why but it worked with the require before the setcookie().

I didn't change a thing except re-typed my include page -- Exactly I swear - and everything worked without a hitch. The include now even has a function that returns the date and time to another page.

The php page now also has sql statements and other php stuff well before I setcookie, I'm just ensuring I don't send anything to the client browser before I set my cookie.

My thanks for your help,
george

Anon

<? require "../../include/include.php3" ?>
   <? setcookie("guest_cookie", "value"); ?>

You need to recheck that there is no hidden whitespace before
or ofter the require statement. You've made it a bit harder for
yourself by going in and out of php mode for each line; this allows
the possibility of trailing blanks after the require line. If you did
it this way:

<? require "../../include/include.php3"
   setcookie("guest_cookie", "value"); ?>

or, perhaps better formatted like this:

<?
   require "../../include/include.php3"
   setcookie("guest_cookie", "value");
   ?>

you would remove several places where whitespace would matter.