sessions -- how long are they persistent?

murali

In my website I have multiple downloads and registration is done once. Now when the user registers his detail I store the username as below

session_start();
$SESSION['username']='$POST['Name'];

now when the user clicks the next link I perform the check like this

if(isset($_SESSION['username']))
{
header("Location:"".$filename);
}
else
{
header('detailsform.php');
}

Now everytime I end up with the detailsform. But once registered I am able to view the session variable's value..

what should I do so that if once the registration is done the user should go the file instead of detailsform until the browser window is closed.

Blarg

I'm not sure of your question, that code (syntax errors aside) should redirect the user (if placed at the top of the, or any page, before any output) - meaning that the user would always be redirected to 'detailsform.php' if the session wasn't active..

Just to correct your syntax errors:

Registration successful page
<?php
  session_start(); 
  // Your field checks, database stuff.. etc here
  $_SESSION['username'] = $_POST['Name']; 
  // HTML output here
?>

Top of the 'check' page
<?php
  if (isset($_SESSION['username'])) { 
    header("Location:".$filename); 
  } else { 
    header("Location: detailsform.php"); 
  } 
?>

Once again, I'm not too sure of your question.. 😕

murali

hi,
it was a typo.. I have written the code exactly in the way you have written.
my problem is this

I have links to 7 files which the user can download.
The criteria is the user has to fill in his details only once (ie. for the first file alone).

I have two files. one to chksession and other for the detailsform.

when the user clicks on any of the link I take him to the chksession.php page where I do the following check

  $dwnloadfile= $_GET["dwnloadfile"];
  if(isset($_SESSION['username']))
  {
     header("Location:".$dwnloadfile);
  }
 else
{
header("Location:detailsform.php")

}

it happens that everytime I click on the link.. even when the session is available, I am taken to the detailsform page.

am I clear now?

Weedpacket

Do you have session_start() on the next page? That's the function that populates the $_SESSION array.

murali

oops! I found my probs finally. I had some variable assignments before session_start(). I removed that and put it on top. Now everything is working fine.....

Blarg

Glad you got it sorted, 😃