sessions

vinylblare

i have the following code in my login page

<FORM METHOD=POST ACTION='<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>'>
<table width="80" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<tr align="left">
<td>User ID: </td>
<td><input type="text" name="username" size="8" maxlength="8" value=""></td></tr>
<tr align="left">
<td>Password: </td>
<td><input type="password" name="password" size="10" maxlength="10"></td></tr>
</table>
<br>
<center><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Login"></center>
</form>
<br>

</table>

<?php

//connect to database
$connection=mysql_connect("localhost","luminosity","luminous") or die ("unable to connect to the database server");
$db = mysql_select_db("luminosity",$connection) or die ("Unable to select the database");

$query = "SELECT Student.Studentno, Student.Password, Student.Name FROM Student WHERE Student.Studentno= '".$_POST['username']." '";
$result = mysql_query($query, $connection);

if(mysql_num_rows($result)){
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$name=$row['Name'];

if($password == $row['Password']){
echo"<center><tr><td>Welcome ".$name." <a href='".index1 . ".php'> " . " click here" . "</a> to access the system.</td></tr></center>";
}
}
}
?>
how do i incorporate sessions into this script that work over a few pages. i would like the easiest way please.
i have tried session_start() and session_id() at the start of each page but i'm getting nowhere.
hopesomeone can quickly help.

sijis

well, i'm not sure exactly what you want to put in a session, but i'm guessing its the username.

but here is some other stuff first, to make it easier. I'd first suggest you to condense the sql query. you can check username and password at the same time. i'll also add the use of sessions.
try this:

$query = "SELECT Student.Studentno, Student.Password, Student.Name FROM Student WHERE Student.Studentno = '".$_POST['username']."' AND Student.Password ='".$_POST['password']."' "; 
$result = mysql_query($query, $connection); 

if (mysql_fetch_array($result) == 1) { // should only be 1 user/pass that matches
// could be mysql_fetch_row($result)
$_SESSION['username'] = $_POST['username'];
$_SESSION['logged_in'] = true;
echo"<center><tr><td>Welcome ".$row['Name']." <a href='".index1 . ".php'> " . " click here" . "</a> to access the system.</td></tr></center>"; 
}

well. put start_session() at beginning of every page.
then you can use $_SESSION['username'] to get the value of the username. (assuming you use the changes i made above)

hope that helps.

vinylblare

hi there,
with the line
if (mysql_fetch_array($result) == 1)
i get a undefined function error and if i change it back to mysql_num_rows
it doesnt work.

also do i put the session_start() at the top of each page before the html tag and does it go inside the <?php tag?

thanks again

vinylblare

hi i changed the code slightly to

if(mysql_num_rows($result)==1){
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$SESSION['username']= $POST['username'];
$_SESSION['logged_in']= true;
$name=$row['Name'];

if($password == $row['Password']){
echo"<center><tr><td>Welcome ".$name." <a href='".index1 . ".php'> " . " click here" . "</a> to access the system.</td></tr></center>

this page works but when i click to access the next page i get an error.
is this code right for the top of the next page?

<?php
session_start();
echo"$_SESSION['username']";
?>
<html>

because i get the following error

Parse error: parse error, expecting T_STRING' orT_VARIABLE' or `T_NUM_STRING' on line 3

vinylblare

i've managed to do that.
thanks alot for your help.

but how do i end a session and do i just put it on the last page?

is it end_session() and where will it go as you still want the person to be logged in on the last page?

sijis

to end a session its
session_destroy()
but that will end ALL sessions.

just remember, the session will expire on itself, once the user is inactive on your website. I don't konw the default off hand, but i'm guessing 10-20 minutes. so as long as you have session_start() at the beginning of every page and the user is 'clicking' around the session will be active.

on that error, here's the fix:

<?php 
session_start(); 
echo $_SESSION['username']; 
?>

if you put a superglobal between double quotes, remove its single quotes.
so will give same output as code above.
echo "$_SESSION[username]";

glad to be of help.