cookies not setting

TravisB

I am trying to set a cookie that stores the name of a style sheet. When I check for the cookie on my system it is not there. An example of the code is below. The setup: Win2k, IIS 5, PHP 4.3.1. Thanks for your help.

<?php

$random = rand(1,5);

switch ($random)
{
	case 1:
		$style = "orange";
		break;
	case 2:
		$style = "merecats";
		break;
	case 3:
		$style = "frog";
		break;
	case 4:
		$style = "bliss";
		break;
	case 5:
		$style = "blue";
		break;
	default: 
		$style = "bliss";
		break;
}

setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", ".travisbarden.com", 0);

?>

mogster

Have you remembered to relocate back to self (or where the cookie should work)?
The cookie won't be visible 'till next time you do a http-request.

<?php

$random = rand(1,5);

switch ($random)
{
    case 1:
        $style = "orange";
        break;
    case 2:
        $style = "merecats";
        break;
    case 3:
        $style = "frog";
        break;
    case 4:
        $style = "bliss";
        break;
    case 5:
        $style = "blue";
        break;
    default: 
        $style = "bliss";
        break;
}

setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
## The cookie value will not be accessible here ##
?>

A workaround for this would be to set the cookie-value manually as the cookie is set:

<?php

$random = rand(1,5);

switch ($random)
{
    case 1:
        $style = "orange";
        break;
    case 2:
        $style = "merecats";
        break;
    case 3:
        $style = "frog";
        break;
    case 4:
        $style = "bliss";
        break;
    case 5:
        $style = "blue";
        break;
    default: 
        $style = "bliss";
        break;
}
if(!empty($CookieStyle)) {
setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
$CookieStyle = $style; // will make the cookie-value available on cookie-set
}
## The cookie value will now be accessible here ##
?>

Just a suggestion.

knutm

TravisB

I am not sure what you mean, "relocate back to self". How should I do that? Here is an example of where this code is being used in the html. I'm using PHP to randomly choose a style sheet and print the file name into the html. I want the name to also be stored in a cookie for an hour. Then I want to read the cookie, if it is there, and use that style so they do not get a random style for every page they click to.

<html>
<head><title>Travis Barden</title>

<link rel="StyleSheet" href="/css/<?php

$random = rand(1,5);

switch ($random)
{
	case 1:
		$style = "orange";
		break;
	case 2:
		$style = "merecats";
		break;
	case 3:
		$style = "frog";
		break;
	case 4:
		$style = "bliss";
		break;
	case 5:
		$style = "blue";
		break;
	default: 
		$style = "bliss";
		break;
}

setcookie ("StyleCookie", $style,time()+3600, "/", ".travisbarden.com", 0);

echo $style;

?>.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />

mogster

I see what you mean.

What you need to do is set the cookie and read the cookie as two separate processes. The relocation thing was about the cookie failing to be read as the cookie is set. With one refresh, it's values are available. But the last code you posted won't work: you cant set cookie in the middle of the output. Try this:

<?php
## This code is for setting cookie only ##

## If cookie is unset ##
if(empty($_COOKIE['CookieStyle'])) {

## do the calculation ##
$random = rand(1,5);
switch ($random)
{
    case 1:
        $style = "orange";
        break;
    case 2:
        $style = "merecats";
        break;
    case 3:
        $style = "frog";
        break;
    case 4:
        $style = "bliss";
        break;
    case 5:
        $style = "blue";
        break;
    default: 
        $style = "bliss";
}
## set cookie ##
setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
## relocate beck to self to make cookie-values accessible ##
header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");
}

## Then do the output to link correct stylesheet ##
?>
<html>
<head><title>Travis Barden</title>
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="/css/<?php echo $_COOKIE['CookieStyle']; ?>.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />

Remember that the value in question will be accessible as $_COOKIE['CookieStyle'] or $CookieStyle, not $style.

knutm

mogster

I'm not sure if your switch work either. Try if-else instead 😉

<?php
## This code is for setting cookie only ##

## If cookie is unset ##
if(empty($_COOKIE['CookieStyle'])) {

## do the calculation ##
$random = rand(1,5);
if($random == 1) {
$style = "orange";
} else if ($random == 2) {
$style = "merecats";
} else if ($random == 3) {
$style = "frog";
} else if ($random == 4) {
$style = "bliss";
} else if ($random == 5) {
$style = "blue";
} else {
$style = "bliss";
}

## set cookie ##
setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/");
## relocate beck to self to make cookie-values accessible ##
header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");
}

## This code is for output ##
## Then do the output to link correct stylesheet ##
?>
<html>
<head><title>Travis Barden</title>
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="/css/<?php echo $_COOKIE['CookieStyle']; ?>.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />

knutm

TravisB

I am still having trouble with this. When I use the code as shown above, I get an error saying the server is not found. I try just setting the cookie like this:

<?php
$style = bliss;
setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/");

//and this way as well
//setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
?>

and the cookie file is not created in my Temporary Internet Files directory. Again the server is Win2k, IIS 5, PHP 4.3.1.

mogster

Aw, sorry, don't have a clue when it comes to IIS. I always use apache misself.

Cookies should work in IIS, though - I know that much :p

I suggest you try without the cookie-setting first - just comment it out for a minute.
Then see if the value $style is returned at all, by echoing it after the if-else sentence.
Does it show?
Try to uncomment the cookie again, and pre-compile time for the cookie and use the full cookie-syntax, and also try www.travisbarden.com as domain:

$ztime = time() + 3600;
setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style, $ztime, "/", "www.travisbarden.com", 0);

And you should read the user notes here - might be some info on IIS:
http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.setcookie.php

knutm

TravisB

Ok, I commented out the setcookie and did echo $style, that works. Then I tried

	$ztime = time() + 3600;
	setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style, $ztime, "/", "www.travisbarden.com", 0);
	header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");

and the server can not be found. I tried a few more times and still can not find server. So then I comment out the header() line like this

	$ztime = time() + 3600;
	setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style, $ztime, "/", "www.travisbarden.com", 0);
//	header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");

and the page comes up fine. But the cookie is still not set. Apparently there is something wrong with both the header() and setcookie() function here.

TravisB

Ok, I have the cookie setting now with this code:

	setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
//	header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");
echo "http://www.travisbarden.com" . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']. " " . $style; //test to see output

But since I am trying to set the style with

<link rel="StyleSheet" href="/css/<?php echo $_COOKIE['CookieStyle']; ?>.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />

I can not see the styles until I refresh the page. So I try this:

	setcookie ("CookieStyle", $style,time()+3600, "/", "travisbarden.com", 0);
	header("Location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."");
//echo "http://www.travisbarden.com" . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']. " " . $style; //test to see output

and the server can not be found.

trinh

I cant set the cookie which expire after 1h with the following code

setcookie("cookie", "lien", time()+3600, "/","",0);

It didnt work (server didnt sent the cookie to browser), but I wonder why its OK if I replace the above code with

setcookie("cookie", "lien", 3600, "/","",0);

whats the meaning of "3600" ? is it 3600 seconds or minutes or what ?

Whats the code if I'd like to set a cookie which expire after 1 houre from current time ?

Help me please ! Im using PHP 4.0.1p12, apache, Linux7