setcookie() help please :)

[r3n]

// checks if this ip has voted before
$validate_voter = mysql_query("select votersIP from $poll_log where votersIP = '$REMOTE_ADDR' and pollID=$pollID") or DIE(mysql_error());
if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) $msg1 = 1; //msg1: 1=Cheater, 2=Not cheater
if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) $msg2 = 2; //msg2: 1=Display, 2=Don't Display
if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) 
header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg1=" . $msg1 .  "&msg2=" . $msg2 . "#poll");

else{
$msg1 = 2;
// updates vote count number (adds 1)
mysql_query("update $poll_data set optionCount=optionCount +1 where pollID=$pollID and voteID=$voteID") or die (mysql_error());
// updates vote count number TOTAL (adds 1)
mysql_query("update $poll_data set optionTotal=optionTotal +1 where pollID=$pollID") or die (mysql_error());
// updates IP info for anti-cheat
mysql_query("insert $poll_log set votersIP='$REMOTE_ADDR', timestamp=now(), pollID=$pollID, voteID=$voteID") or die (mysql_error());

setcookie("poll[0]","voted",0,"/","www.u-clan.net");

header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg1=$msg1&msg2=$msg2#poll");
}

The above code is for entering info from a poll into a mySQL database as you can see. At the moment, I use the IP to stop people from cheating. But I need to use cookies aswell (because clients with dynamic IPs obviosly can re-vote with a diffrent IP).

The setcookie() function isn't (as far as i know) giving me a cookie -- i checked my cookies dir (Documents and Settings/name/Cookies/) and there is no new cookies when i run the above script.

Some help please? :p

[GBahle]

First, about cookies: setcookie works only if there's been no text sent to the browser before the function call (same as the header() restrictions really).

This includes as innocent things as whitespace before the first <?php> tag, meaning this e.g. wouldn't work:

<?php

setcookie(...)

?>

since there's a blank line above which is sent to the browser.

Other than that, a little optimization: Since there's a bijection between your two $msg values (1 --> 2 and 2 --> 1) you should change the first lines of code to the following

if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) {
         $msg = 1; //msg1: 1=Cheater / Don't display, 2=Not cheater / Display
         header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg=" . $msg . "#poll"); 
} else {

Also, if your headers() work, the above stated isn't the problem.
You could try using the function with the default parameter (only the name, maybe plus the value); it doesn't require the other arguments.
Something else, straight from the php manual (www.php.net/setcookie):

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 with Service Pack 1 applied does not correctly deal with cookies that have their path parameter set.

[r3n]

I don't understand, why would i want to change my $msg1 and $msg2 vars to $msg?... that would do nothing but cause problems, hehe 🙂
Those two vars are passed on from previous pages. Thanks for making me realise though, yes there is an optimisation problem -- it would be better if:

if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) 
{
$msg1 = 1; //msg1: 1=Cheater, 2=Not cheater
$msg2 = 2; //msg2: 1=Display, 2=Don't Display
header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg1=" . $msg1 .  "&msg2=" . $msg2 . "#poll");
}

Which makes the new code:

// Checks if this ip has voted before
$validate_voter = mysql_query("select votersIP from $poll_log where votersIP = '$REMOTE_ADDR' and pollID=$pollID") or DIE(mysql_error());
if(mysql_num_rows($validate_voter)>0) 
{
$msg1 = 1; //msg1: 1=Cheater, 2=Not cheater
$msg2 = 2; //msg2: 1=Display, 2=Don't Display
header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg1=" . $msg1 .  "&msg2=" . $msg2 . "#poll");
}

else
{
$msg1 = 2;
$msg2 = 2;
// Updates vote count number (adds 1)
mysql_query("update $poll_data set optionCount=optionCount +1 where pollID=$pollID and voteID=$voteID") or die (mysql_error());
// Updates vote count number TOTAL (adds 1)
mysql_query("update $poll_data set optionTotal=optionTotal +1 where pollID=$pollID") or die (mysql_error());
// Updates IP info for anti-cheat
mysql_query("insert $poll_log set votersIP='$REMOTE_ADDR', timestamp=now(), pollID=$pollID, voteID=$voteID") or die (mysql_error());

setcookie("poll[0]","voted",0,"/","www.u-clan.net");

header("Location: http:" . $filename . "?" . $php_query . "&pollreq=" . $poll_results_page . "&msg1=" . $msg1 . "&msg2=" . $msg2 . "#poll");
}

Although i still cant figure out why the setcookie() function isn't working... am i checking in the wrong place or something?