[Resolved] [Resolved] Session Missing or Not Being Set

[artnow]

Hello all. I have been trying to figure out how to see if the session is being set. It seems that anything that I have done with sessions just doesn't work.

Here is what I am using:

<?php
session_start(); 
if(!isset($_SESSION['session'])) { 
  $_SESSION['session']=$somevalue;

echo $_SESSION['session'];
echo $somevalue;
} 
?>

With this, there are not results.

Is it possible that there is no session value being set and if so, why not and how do I make it work?

[bastien]

try refreshing the page and see if the value is there

[pjleonhardt]

refreshing the page wont yield any results because the echo()s are in the if statement.

try:

<?
session_start();

if($_SESSION['session'])
{
   echo $_SESSION['session'];
}
else
{
$_SESSION['session'] = $foobar;
}

?>

load it once, then refresh the page

[LordShryku]

An print_r is your debugging buddy when working with an array. Instead of echoing the one session var, try instead a print_r($_SESSION) to see what's out there.

[artnow]

Thanks for your replies. I tried all of your suggestions and nothing worked. I used pjleonhardt's code then changed the the echo line to print_r as suggested by LordShryku to yield this:

<? 
session_start(); 

if($_SESSION['session']) 
{ 
   print_r($_SESSION); 
} 
else 
{ 
$_SESSION['session'] = $foobar; 
} ?> 

Still nothing, just a blank page.

I have read countless posts here on the forums and I wonder if it could have something to do with register_globals (which are on) or maybe the session.save_path (which is /tmp). Can I change these? Should I? And is it done through .htaccess?

[bastien]

register_globals is not a factor

the session save path is for windows change to "C:\temp"

for unix leave as is....

though for both you can change th epath to hve the sessions stored in a folder inside the web site...

[LordShryku]

A

error_reporting(E_ALL);

at the top of the page wouldn't hurt. See if we can produce an error....

[artnow]

Using the code in my second post, I put the error_reporting(E_ALL); in the top above the session_start(); and also immediately below it.

I refreshed the page a couple of time and I got these errors:

Notice: Undefined index: session in /usr/local/.../test.php3 on line 5

line 5 --

if($_SESSION['session']) 

Notice: Undefined variable: foobar in //usr/local/.../test.php3 on line 11

line 11 --

$_SESSION['session'] = $foobar; 

but this makes sense since $foobar is not defined.

[LordShryku]

Looks like progress 🙂
the undefined index is because you're not using isset() methinks.

if(isset($_SESSION['session']))

Beyond that, lets try defining $foobar, and also look at what Bastien said, and see if the session.save_path is writeable. If not, you can use an ini_set to change it.

[artnow]

Progress! Okay so this is what I have now:

<?
error_reporting(E_ALL);
session_start();
$foobar = "Bob";
if(isset($_SESSION['session']))

{ 
   print_r($_SESSION); 
} 
 else 
{ 
$_SESSION['session'] = $foobar; 
   print_r($foobar); 
} 
?>

It output $foobar or "Bob".

Now, how do I check if the session.save_path is writable?

I tried to have the sessions saved on the web site, using a directory /tmp in the same folder as this script resides. I chmod the /tmp directory to 777 and put a session.save.path in the script but it really messed things up. Likely syntax since I really don't have a clue of what I am doing. Everything I read says put sessions_start first so in keeping with that, I put the session.save.path after session_start using the following:

Attempt one --

session.save_path('/tmp');

lots of errors and
Attempt two --

session.save_path = /tmp

parse error, unexpected '=' ...

[LordShryku]

If you wanna change the session.save path, use ini_set()

[artnow]

I suppose I should ask if using ini_set only affects my site or will it affect everyone else on the server as well. I am using a local hosting company and they get rather put out when I trash their servers, which I have done twice now. Funny that they still want me as a customer ...

If I put the following in .htaccess will that work?
session_save_path("/path/to/my/website/directory/tmp");

[LordShryku]

Actually, it's only a temporary call. It is only set in the script that is using it, and reverts back when the script has executed. Really, you should only need to use it if the hosting company's ini config is pointing you to a non-writeable directory.

[artnow]

Well, I tried it in the .htaccess file first and that crashed my site. I quickly undid it. I have added the following line to the top of my script:

ini_set("save_path", "/path/to/tmp");

but still the output remains $foobar or "Bob".

In the meantime I figured out how to read my php_ini file and I have included it below in case you see something that I am unaware of:

session.cache_expire - 180
session.cache_limiter - nocache
session.cookie_domain - no value
session.cookie_lifetime - 0
session.cookie_path - /
session.cookie_secure - Off
session.entropy_file no - value
session.entropy_length - 0
session.gc_maxlifetime - 1440
session.gc_probability - 1
session.name - PHPSESSID
session.referer_check - no value
session.save_handler - files
session.save_path - /tmp
session.serialize_handler - php
session.use_cookies - On
session.use_trans_sid - 1

[artnow]

Well after doing loads of reading and having heard somewhere that sessions use cookies to store the session ids, I decided to explore the cookies option. And wouldn't you know, my web host (a php programmer actually) made custom sessions where the session name is not PHPSESSID . By default, PHPSESSID is not used, but the custom php session is and it is named: Justweb-Unique-ID. It appends the ip address infront of the session id - 66.47.10.95.165551066507890819 - for instance. So, the following is the code that outputs the custom session id:

<?
session_start();

   print_r($_COOKIE['Justweb-Unique-ID']);
?>

Thanks a ton for all of your help. I spent the better part of the day reading about sessions and learned a ton - assuming I can remember anything ...

[kylesite]

I would use this:

<?php
session_start();

$somevalue = 'test';

if (isset($_SESSION['session'])){
     echo "Session value is ".$_SESSION['session']."<b>";
     echo "Session value is ".$somevalue."<br>";
} else {
     $_SESSION['session'] = $somevalue; 
                                        // is 'session' is unset, set it to 'test'
     echo "Session value is ".$_SESSION['session']."<br>";
     echo "Session value is ".$somevalue."<br>";
?>

[artnow]

After trying the javascript version I stumbled upon the "onclick" function and used that to open a window as follows:

page.php3

<a href=\"{$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']}\" onClick=window.open('http://www.mysite.com/addlink.php3?id=$id','picture','toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,status=yes,menubar=0,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=225,height=170,titlebar=yes')>Add to myLinks</a>

addlink.php3

<?php
session_start();
include ("connect.php3");

if (!isset($_SESSION["username"])) { 
print "There has been an error:<br>
  You have either been automatically logged out or you do not have a myLinks account.<br>
  <br>
  Please login or register.
  <br>
  </font><a href=javascript:window.close()>Close 
  Window</a> </div>";

} else {

  $sql = "INSERT INTO $tablelinks (id,userid,link) 
VALUES ('','$username',$id)";
      $result = mysql_query($sql) or die("Sorry, the link was not added."); 

print "<div align=center>Successfully Added<br><a href=javascript:window.close()>Close 
  Window</a></div>";
exit();
}
?>