Comparing strings...

[cpgordano]

I am attempting to compare the content of a string. I can't figure out why this won't work:

if ($string1 == $string2)
{
$Validity=1;
return $Validity;
}
else
{
$Validity=0;
return $Validity;
}

This is contained in a loop to where I have a list of items in a textfile and wnat to compare whether or not the user input item matches an item in the list. Once validity is verified, I wish to break out of the while loop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Chris

[farzal]

I always use the binary safe, strcmp(string1, string2), to compare the strings. Your requirements might be different.
http://www.php.net/manual/pt_BR/function.strcmp.php

[[deleted]]

So what's the problem? are the strings not getting compared?
or are you trying to break out of a loop using 'return'?

return is only for functions, not loops. Try 'break' instead.

[cpgordano]

I tried using strcmp as well but for some reason when I use the line:

if ($myusername == $myLine)

The two strings are not being compared at all. I can print out the variables with an echo statement just before the if statement and they'll be identical but when I go to compare them... nothing.

[cpgordano]

I noticed that in the documentation STRCMP only gives you the whether or not he variables are the same lenght shorter or longer by definition in the users manual. I need to check to see if the the characters in the string are exactally the same.

[cpgordano]

This is the exact code I am using:

<?
function CheckUser($myusername)
{
if ($myFile = fopen("users","r"));
$ValidLogin = 0;
while (!feof($myFile))
{
$myLine = fgets($myFile,255);
trim($myusername);
trim($myLine);
print ("From Data File: $myLine<br>\n");
print ("From Username: $myusername<br>\n");

    //if (strcmp($myusername,$myLine)==0)

    if ($myusername == $myLine)
    {
            $ValidLogin = 1;
            print ("VALID!! $ValidLogin<br><br>\n");
            return $ValidLogin;
    }
    else
            print ("NOT VALID!! $ValidLogin<br><br>\n");
  }

fclose($myFile);
}

//if (($myusername=="TheWalrus" || $myusername=="Strawberry") && ($mypassword=="password")) THIS LINE WORKS FINE

if ((CheckUser($myusername))&& ($mypassword=="password"))) //THIS IS MY PROBLEM LINE
{
$LoggedIn=1;
echo "Login is Secure";
}
else
{
$LoggedIn=0;
echo "Login Has Failed for ".$myusername." with ".$mypassword." ";
}
?>

I've pulled $myLine out of a text file and when I vire the output print statements within the While loop the pair that looks identical should be yield a correct response and set ValidLogin=1... right?

[[deleted]]

Try printing the length of both strings, see if there aren't any hidden characters line \r in there.

[[deleted]]

Nope, strcmp really compares the strings.
Whatever would be the use of just checking the length?