Php/Mysql Authentication.

[amPAR]

I've searched quite a few tutorial sites on the internet and I have consistently came up with nothing that will aid me in what I am needing done. I'm storing users and their information inside a mysql table and I have no problem utilizing this function. My problem lies in the fact that every tutorial that I have read explains exactly what I know how to do, and it's not advanced enough to help me.

What I need is an authentication system equilivalent to a forum. One that works for many users, and keeps the user logged in over multiple pages not just one. I have no idea how to use cookies, so what I am asking is how would I use cookies in order to keep users that have logged in, logged in over various pages, securely. If anyone has an idea, it would be greatly appreciated if you could help me. I feel very secure in all other aspects of coding my website, it's just this authentication problem that has me stumped.

Thanks for your help, ahead of time, it is greatly appreciated.

[jsim]

Use sessions. BTW, sessions use cookies, and in most cases you don't need to use cookies itself.
Or if you want to use cookies alone you can do the following:
1. Authorize the user - login/password
2. If login/pswd is correct store in the database info that this user is authorized
3. Send him a cookie with a value of row ID you stored in database
4. At every page that requires authorizing check a cookie and this row in the db.

[amPAR]

That's where I have the problem though. I don't know how to store a cookie. As for sessions? What exactly is a session?

[jsim]

Cookies: http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php and http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.setcookie.php
Sessions: http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.session.php