session_start() - funny behaviour

mohamdally

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to session and reading through the previous threads i've seen that before you can access a session variable you need to use session_start() on top of the page. Correct?

I'm experimenting with it, and on session_test.php as follow:

<?
//session_start();
echo "My name: $name";
?>

Well even though i commented the session_start(), i can still see $name printed. Does this mean that we dun need session_start()?

thanx

PHP-Editors_com

Perhaps the variable $name is available via some other means !! for example POST or GET. If its not on the Querystring or passed in by a form then is your page being use as an inlcude file ?

morphy_6deex

to be sure instead of using a global var like $name use $_SESSION["name"] (new way) or $HTTP_SESSION_VARS["name"] (older way)

mohamdally

hi,
thx for the reply.

NO i'm not getting it from post or get method. all i'm doing is echo it to screen.

Nopes it's not an included file. It's juz a 1 line echo line.

Wonder where the $name comes from if session_start() is commented. By right is should not print the $name rite?

Originally posted by PHP-Editors.com
Perhaps the variable $name is available via some other means !! for example POST or GET. If its not on the Querystring or passed in by a form then is your page being use as an inlcude file ?

james2871

If you do not want $name to print if the session isn't started, one method is this:

On a previous page, start a session using session_start(), then set a session variable. You can define a variable then register it:
page1.php
<?
session_start();
$myVariable = "some value";
session_register('myVariable');
rest of code here...
?>

page2.php
<?
session_start()
if(session_is_registered('myVariable')){
echo 'My name: '.$name;
}
else{
do something else...
}
?>

This way, if the page is accessed directly, if the session variable hasn't been registered from a previous page, do something else... will execute, otherwise the echo statement will.

Hope this helps.