Cookies problem

bowman795

Allright. I've KINDOF got cookies working.

This is the problem. I'm making a cookie-based login system similar to the one in the tutorials here on the site. I made a test script that just had 2 functions, to set and to read cookies, and it worked fine there.

From there I put them in the script, and from all visible indicators the cookies are being set (i KNOW the setcookie line is being called without error). However, when I go back in a different function later on, it can't read the cookies, I just get a blank string.

Code:
Here is how I'm setting....
if ($passwrd == $pwd) {
$id_hash = md5($user_name.$hidden_hash_var);
setcookie('username',$user_name,(time()+3600),'/','',0);
setcookie('password',$id_hash,(time()+3600),'/','',0);
echo "Logged in user $user_name with $id_hash!";

That $paasswrd=$pwd is just a check to see if they entered correct pass against an SQL table. To call, I'm doin something like

$user_name = $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS["username"];
$enc_pass = $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS["password"];

---except that both $user_name and $enc_pass are blank.

Ideas?

lawnmowerman

Make sure to pass your variables to the function or
specify that they are global variables at the start of the function.

-Rich

bowman795

Which variables? Do i need to globally declare the $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS?

lawnmowerman

Sorry....I should have specified that. Yes.

Just add:

global $HTTP_POST_VARS;

to the function before you use the variable. I personally make the global line the first line in the function so I always know what variables are considered global as soon as I see the function code.

If you need more than 1 global variable, just comma seperate them:

global $HTTP_POST_VARS, $PHP_SELF;

for example.

It is generally considered better practice to pass the variables to the function as parameters instead of declaring them global, even though the global properties only effect the current function.

-Rich