Sessions...

[rIkLuNd]

How do I use sessions?

[raymie]

You use your best friend to find out...

all a session is, is a method of maintaining state between web pages.

In effect it does this be providing each page in the session with the super global array $_SESSION.

Each page should begin with session_start. On the assumption that you are using PHP with th register_globals option as off then you should NOT use session_register but if you need to save a variable simply insert it into the $_SESSION array.

[rIkLuNd]

How do I insert a variable into a session array?

[raymie]

Exactly like any other associative array.

$_SESSION['newfield'] = 'arghh';

[rIkLuNd]

Ok, thanx! I'll try that.

just for verification:

Is this correct:

<?php

// The user login and then these variables are created

if(($password == "tiger")&&($username == "lion"))
{
$_SESSION['username'] = 'lion';
$_SESSION['password'] = 'tiger';
}
else
{
echo "Login failed. Please try again.";
}

?>

This is just an example code!

[raymie]

looks ok but remember to put

session_start();

at the top of each page. (each 'page' not each include file.)

[rIkLuNd]

ok, thanks!

[nyanu]

I am previously using ASP to code my web application.

in ASP:

when i try.

session("test")="Hello"

response.write session("test")

I get "Hello" printed. then i remove the, session("test")="Hello".
i refresh the page with only, response.write session("test").
Hello is still printed.
This shows that Hello in stored in the session.

In PHP:
when i try.

$_SESSION["test"]="Hello";

print $_SESSION["test"];

I get "Hello" printed. then i remove the, $SESSION("test")="Hello";.
i refresh the page with only, print $SESSION["test"];.
Hello is NOT printed.
It seems to me that Hello in not stored in the session as ASP.

May i know how can i store session variables, so that the variables will be accessible for all pages of the website until the user closes the browers??

Thanks.
nyanu

[raymie]

If you have session_start at the top of the page then it should work (but it needs to be on every page).

Try putting this after the session_start to list out the contents of the session array

foreach ($_SESSION as $key => $value)
{
	echo "$key = $value <BR>";
}

You may also want to have a page with just phpinfo(); on it and check that your installation has sessions activated.

[nyanu]

Hi thanks.
i realise my mistake... 🙂

i nvr put session_start() that's why.
I had set auto session in the ini file 🙂

[lukemedway]

Ok, what if....

You are including the main template...

include_once("header.php");

Then the content code goes here...

include_once("footer.php");

Would I need to put the session information, in the header?

If so, how will I sort pages that can be seen by registered members and non-registered members. At the moment I got an example which should be on every page....

<?php
session_start();

if (!$_SESSION['userid'])
{ session_destroy(); }

?>

And this...

if (!$_SESSION['userid'])
{
header("Location:http://www.dot.com/login.php");
}

Should only be on pages I want logged in users to see. But I can't separate them because I'm using a php template.

Feck I'm tired, I think i'm gonna catch up on a few hours sleep. 🙁

[raymie]

What I would personally do is have session_start as the beginning of the header on all pages.

There is no real harm having it when the user is not logged in.

[lukemedway]

But what about pages I don't want regular visitors to see?

[raymie]

For those I normally add in an include file or have the page name on a database etc...

Anyway, the point is for the restricted pages to check that the user is logged in for example by checking that the username session variable has been set, if not then either kick them back to the login page or print out a nasty message and exit.

You could restructure you code like this

<?php 
session_start(); 

if (!$_SESSION['userid'] && isset($secret_page)) 
{ 
header("Location:[url]http://www.dot.com/login.php[/url]"); 
} 

and at the top of every restricted page include a file before the header which sets the $secret_page variable.

That is probably the quickest way.