Using Sessions Question

madcat

Just trying to get a basic understanding of sessions here. I have an all-in-one form that contains a 'login' form and the regular form. Each time you press submit, it basically goes back to the same script. Except, when the user hits submit after filling out the form, it gets caught on one of the first conditions and re-displays the login form.

I just need somehow to include a session variable in that part of the script that says, the user has already been here, it's okay - move on to the next part of the script.

My questions are: Do I put the session_start(); and session_register variables just once at the top of the page? Will those variables be available even after I press submit on either the login form or the regular form? Do I have to include session_start(); in more than one place, even though it is all one big script?

Thanks for any help!

sijis

just put session_start() at the top of the page.
and in your regular login form create a session
name it $_SESSION['logged_in'] (or whatever you want)
give it a value

$_SESSION['logged_in'] = true;

then when you check whether the user is logged in or not, check to see if the session is 'true'.

if($_SESSION['logged_in'] && $user_submitted_form){
// skip the login prompt and let user continue to
// browse restricted area of site.
}

the good thing about having the session_start() at very top is that since you are calling the same php file it registers that new session ($_SESSION['logged_in']) and then you can use the conditional statement later to check if the user is logged in or not.

I wrote a login code that uses this principle, it really sounds similar to yours.
find it here: http://www.phpbuilder.com/snippet/detail.php?type=snippet&id=939

madcat

That's great, thanks for your help. Except, how exactly do I get that $_SESSION['logged_in'] in my form? I used the shorter login form for brevity:

<?php
$login = "
$SESSION['logged_in'] = true;
<div id=\"login\">
<p>Hello, Welcome.</p>
<form method=\"post\" action=\"$SERVER[PHP_SELF]\">
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"check_login\" value=\"checked_in\" />
Username: <input type=\"text\" name=\"username\" size=\"25\" /><br />
Password: <input type=\"text\" name=\"password\" size=\"25\" />
<input type=\"submit\" name=\"submit\" value=\"Go\" />
</form>
</div>";

Really any combination I try won't work. I thought it might need to be enclosed in PHP tags too. So then how do you fill a variable within another variable like this?

Thanks again!

sijis

<?php
session_start();


if($_POST['check_login'] && (user/pass validated)){
// i would strongly suggest to add this session, right after you verify the user/pass is valid, but since i don't know where you check it, i'm putting it here
// so you have an idea where it should go.
   $_SESSION['logged_in'] = true;
}
// you might have to add this line, but it shouldn't be required.
// $_SESSION['logged_in'] = false;

if(!$_SESSION['logged_in']){

<div id=\"login\"> 
<p>Hello, Welcome.</p> 
<form method=\"post\" action=\"$_SERVER[PHP_SELF]\"> 
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"check_login\" value=\"checked_in\" /> 
Username: <input type=\"text\" name=\"username\" size=\"25\" /><br /> 
Password: <input type=\"text\" name=\"password\" size=\"25\" /> 
<input type=\"submit\" name=\"submit\" value=\"Go\" /> 
</form> 
</div>"; 

}
?>

that should work.

madcat

Thought it might be easier to get a full view of the code. I've read the section on sessions at php.net a few times, and I get the idea...I just fail to see how to incorporate it here. I've colored the main sections to make things easier.

[size=2]<html>
<head>
	<title>Title</title>
</head>

<body>

<table width="100%" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
	<tr>
		<td colspan="2" height="63"><br /></td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td width="20%" valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li><a href="#">Link 1</a></li>
				<li><a href="#">Link 2</a></li>
				<li><a href="#">Link  3</a></li>
			</ul>
		</td>
		<td valign="top" width="80%">

	[color=green]<?php[/color]

	[color=orange]$login = "
		<div id=\"login\">
		<p>Hello, Welcome.</p>
		<form method=\"post\" action=\"$_SERVER[PHP_SELF]\">
			<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"check_login\" value=\"checked_in\" />
			Username: <input type=\"text\" name=\"username\" size=\"25\" /><br />
			Password: <input type=\"text\" name=\"password\" size=\"25\" />
			<input type=\"submit\" name=\"submit\" value=\"Go\" />
		</form>
		</div>";[/color]

	[color=blue]$the_form = "
		<h2>Form</h2>
		<form method=\"post\" action=\"$_SERVER[PHP_SELF]\">
		<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"check\" value=\"checked\" />
		<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"check_login\" value=\"checked_in\" />
		<table class=\"form\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"7\" border=\"0\">
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Contact Informaton:</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td width=\"50%\">First Name:</td>
				<td><input type=\"text\" name=\"fname\" value=\"$_POST[fname]\" size=\"25\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Last Name:</td>
				<td><input type=\"text\" name=\"lname\" value=\"$_POST[lname]\" size=\"25\" maxlength=\"35\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Email Address:</td>
				<td><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" value=\"$_POST[email]\" size=\"25\" maxlength=\"35\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Telephone Number:</td>
				<td><input type=\"text\" name=\"phone\" size=\"25\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td class=\"section-header\" colspan=\"2\"><h3>Please Specify:</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Administration</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"level\" value=\"Admin\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Part Time</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"level\" value=\"part\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Full Time</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"level\" value=\"full\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<td ccolspan=\"2\"><h3>At which office are you located?</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>County</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"location\" value=\"county\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Local</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"location\" value=\"local\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Munice</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"location\" value=\"munice\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Please check the problem(s) you are having:</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Problem 1</td>
				<td><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"Problem 1\" value=\"yes\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Problem 2</td>
				<td><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"Problem 2\" value=\"yes\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Problem 3</td>
				<td><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"Problem 3\" value=\"yes\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Other</td>
				<td><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"problemNotSpecified\" value=\"yes\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Connection?</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Yes</td>	
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"Connect\" value=\"yes_Connect\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>No</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"no_Connect\" value=\"no_Connect\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Send or receive emails?</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Yes</td>	
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"Another\" value=\"anotherval\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>No</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"Send\" value=\"send\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Can you see?</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>Yes</td>	
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"see\" value=\"yes_see\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td>No</td>
				<td><input type=\"radio\" name=\"see\" value=\"no_see\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><h3>Describe any additional problems or concerns:</h3></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td><br /></td>
				<td><textarea name=\"description\" cols=\"50\" rows=\"9\"></textarea></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td colspan=\"2\"><input type=\"submit\" name=\"submit\" value=\"SUBMIT\" />
								<input type=\"reset\" name=\"reset\" value=\"RESET FORM\" /></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
				<td id=\"footer\" colspan=\"2\">&copy;2003 See Doctor</td>
			</tr>
		</table>
		</form>";[/color]

			[color=red]if (!$_POST[check_login]) {
				echo "$login";
				exit;
			}

			if ($_POST[check_login]) {
				[color=grey]if ((!$_POST[username]) && (!$_POST[password])) {[/color]
					echo "<p class='error'>Please enter your username and password!</p>";
					echo "$login";
					exit;
				} else {
				$dbname = "db";
				$table = "table";
				$connection = @mysql_connect("localhost", "user", "pass") or die(mysql_error());
				$db = @mysql_select_db($dbname, $connection) or die(mysql_error());
				$sql = "SELECT id FROM $table WHERE username = '".$_POST['username']."' AND 	
				password = '".$_POST['password']."'";
				$result = @mysql_query($sql, $connection) or die(mysql_error());
				if (mysql_num_rows($result) != 1) {
					echo "<p class='error'>Incorrect login, please enter your username and password.</p>";
					echo "$login";
				} else if(mysql_num_rows($result) == 1) {
				if (!$_POST[check]) {
				echo "$the_form";
			} else if ($_POST['check']) {

			if (!$_POST[fname]) {
			$fname_error = "<p class='error'>Please enter your first name.</p><br />";
			$transmission = "stop";
			}

			if (!$_POST[lname]) {
				$lname_error = "<p class='error'>Please enter your last name.</p><br />";
				$transmission = "stop";
			}

			if (!$_POST[email]) {
				$email_error = "<p class='error'>Please enter your email address.</p><br />";
				$transmission = "stop";
			}

			if ($transmission != "stop") {
				$recipients = "sue@yoursite.com";
				$subject = "See Doctor Ticket";
				$mailheaders = "From: billybob@yoursite.com <> \n";
				$mailheaders .= "Reply-To: $_POST[email]\n\n";

				$contents = "CONTENTS OF SEE TICKET\n";
				$contents .= "First Name: $_POST[fname]\n";
				$contents .= "Last Name:  $_POST[lname]\n";
				$contents .= "Email:	    $_POST[email]\n";
				$contents .= "Phone:	    $_POST[phone]\n";
				$contents .= "Position:$_POST[level]\n";
				$contents .= "Location:$_POST[location]\n";
				$contents .= "Problem 1:	$_POST[Problem 1]\n";
				$contents .= "Problem 2:	$_POST[Problem 2]\n";
				$contents .= "Problem 3:	$_POST[Problem 3]\n";
				$contents .= "Other Problem:	$_POST[problemNotSpecified]\n";
				$contents .= "List One: $_POST[listone]\n";
				$contents .= "See 1:  $_POST[see 1]\n";
				$contents .= "See:   $_POST[see]\n";
				$contents .= "Problem Description: " . stripslashes($_POST[description]);

				mail($recipients, $subject, $contents, $mailheaders);
				echo "<div class='error-correction'>";
				echo "<p>Thank you.  Your message has been sent to our technicians.  We will be with 	you shortly.</p>";
				echo "<a class='error-anchor' href='index.html'>Main Page</a> | ";
				echo "<a class='error-anchor' href='http://www.other.com/'>Other</a>";
				echo "</div>";
				} 

				else if ($transmission == "stop") {
					echo "<h2>Form Error Notification</h2>";
					echo "<p class='error'>$fname_error</p>";
					echo "<p class='error'>$lname_error</p>";
					echo "<p class='error'>$email_error</p>";
					echo "$the_form";
				}

				$receiver = $_POST['email'];
				$subject = "From the See Doctor";
				$message = "Thank you for contacting us!\n" .
	  	 				   "Your message has been sent to our people\n" .
	       				   "and will be processed as soon as possible.\n" .
	       				   "Have a nice day!";
   				mail($receiver, $subject, $message, 
 		  				   "From: webmaster@$SERVER_NAME\r\n"
 		                  ."Reply-To: webmaster@$SERVER_NAME\r\n"
 		                  ."X-Mailer: PHP/" . phpversion());

				}
			}
		}
	}[/color]

		[color=green]?>[/color]

	</td>
</tr>
</table>

</body>
</html>[/size]

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Problem: After logging in (which is no problem), the main form ($the_form) appears -> After the user fills out the main form and clicks submit, it heads back to the login form- the condition it gets caught on is grey above.

That about sums it up. If this can be made to work, and it's not a worthless chunk of code then have at it. It's my first attempt at PHP so I'm sure it's riddled with holes.

Any help, much much appreciated!