cookie help

bike5

Ok I have this login cookie to sets when login is valid. Now, I have a local server setup on my computer to test everything and this works correct and sets the cookie and everything locally. BUT I uploaded this to my server and now the cookie will not set-

<?php
if(isset($login)){
ob_start();
setcookie("dbl_logged_cookie", "$login");
header("Location:myaccount.php");
ob_end_flush();
}
?>

And I know its executing that because it sends me to myaccount.php, buy myaccount.php sends u back to the login because it checks to see if the cookie exists, which means the cookie did not set. Any ideas why? Thanks for your help.

adamgeorge

Well, becareful where you're putting ob_start(); That function turns on output buffering. You'll notice you have no output between ob_start(); and ob_end_flush(); anyway... so what was the point of using those functions? In that context they're not doing anything useful.

If there is output somewhere else in your script, certainly that would explain why the cookie is not getting set.

Move ob_start(); to the beggining of your script so any output is wrapped between ob_start(); and ob_end_flush(); otherwise the cookie will not get set.

Read http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.ob-start.php for more details on why this happens.

Although I guess that doesn't explain why the cookie was working on your local machine... another thing it could be is the 'scope' of the cookie. If you set a cookie on page http://jfd.com/directory/mypage.php, pages higher up in the site eg. the root page will not be able to 'see' the cookie. (It will not be available to them)

So set the cookie in your root level of the site if you want it available to all pages. That is something that could be causing the problem if you directory structure is slightly different on the server then on your local machine...

Hope that helps.
-Adam 🙂

xblue

what syntax do you use to access the cookie value in myaccount.php?

bike5

I just use

if(isset($dbl_logged_cookie))

xblue

default settings do not allow this syntax anymore in most recent php versions.

try $_COOKIE['dbl_logged_cookie'] instead.

bike5

Ah I finnaly found out the real problem. My session I was setting which I make up of md5 and crypt was longer then my lenght saved in the DB, so the cookie was say saved as "abcd" and the datebase held "abc" so it couldn't find it. I allowed more space for the session in the DB and it works now. The only thing I don't get is why it works on my local server because it should be having the same problem, yet it works...oh well, I only know its working now and thats all that matters right..hehe.. Thanks for everyones help.

pablodelapena

Ok, i have a similar problem with cookies, i.e they are not being set when i put the site live. I also have sotware that 'pretends' to be an apache server.

Ok, i am using a cookie, again to log in. The authentication page is working and redirecting. but the logged in page when checking for the cookie cannot find it.

Im a begginer at php so am not very familiar with all the avalible functions.

Ok, here are the scripts:

(auth.php) > > > >

<?php
if ($WhoAreYou == "pablo" && $password == "pablo") {
if ($RememberMe == "true") {
setcookie("WhoAreYou", "pablo", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
setcookie("permissions", "mod", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
setcookie("permissionsbraemar", "true", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
header("location: loggedin.php");
} else {
setcookie("WhoAreYou", "pablo", time ()+3600);
setcookie("permissions", "mod", time ()+3600);
setcookie("permissionsbraemar", "true", time ()+3600);
header("location: loggedin.php");
}

} elseif ($WhoAreYou == "graeme_88" && $password == "livelife") {
if ($RememberMe == "true") {
setcookie("WhoAreYou", "graeme_88", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
setcookie("permissions", "mod", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
setcookie("permissionsbraemar", "true", mktime (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2100));
header("location: loggedin.php");
} else {
setcookie("WhoAreYou", "graeme_88", time ()+3600);
setcookie("permissions", "mod", time ()+3600);
setcookie("permissionsbraemar", "true", time ()+3600);
header("location: loggedin.php");
}
}

this sets the cookies which allow the pages to recognise the users various details, i.e their username, their permissions, and various other folder permissions.

This all works fine and well, but when the next page (loggedin.php) looks for the cookie, ITS NOT THERE!!!🙁

Im using this syntax to check of the cookie:

<?php
// This just checks to make sure that there is a WhoAreYou value. If not it redirects the user to default.php to login.
if (!isset($WhoAreYou)) {
header ("location: default.php?redirect=true");
} ?>

this is the very first thing in all of my pages. Also all the pages are in the same folder so there shouldnt be a problem with the root thing???

I'm lost. php.net hasnt provided any useful answers either! ANY help at all would really be appreciated.

🙂 Pablo de la Pena

for those of you who are interested (or if it helps decypher my question) the page im relating to is this:

http://www.mountaincanon.com/photos/php/default.php

this is basically just a normal HTML form.