IE can't understand $_SESSION, Mozilla can?

[Calahan]

Got an odd problem here. I've written some simple code to check if the user's browser is set to accept cookies. This process works flawlessly in Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox but not on IE.
On the first page I set the following: (I'm using session_start(); on both pages)

$_SESSION['test_cookie'] = "yes";

Then the user clicks a button which sends them to a page containing this code:

<?php
session_start();
extract($_SESSION);

//print $_SESSION['test_cookie'];

if (@$_SESSION['test_cookie'] != 'yes')
{
echo "<b><u><center>Either you chose not to accept the cookie or your browser is set to reject cookies</b></u><p>
You can fix this by following the steps below.<p>
First, select the browser you are using.<p>
<a href='ie.htm'>Internet Explorer</a><p>
<a href='mozilla.htm'>Mozilla</a><p>";
}
else
{
echo "Cookies are enabled!";
}

Note that I have commented out print $_SESSION['test_cookie']?
Well if I comment out everything below the print command and uncomment the print line so that I can see exactly what is in the $_SESSION['test_cookie'] variable, IE tells me it contains the value "yes" (set from the first page even though cookies had been disabled), while Moz tells me the following: Notice: Undefined index: test_cookie in C:\Web\cookie_test.php on line 4.
Line 4 is the print command.

I have no clue why this is happening.

Any ideas?

[The_Chancer]

Why not check for

if (!isset($_SESSION['test_cookie']) || empty($_SESSION['test_cookie']))

Works fine in Moz / IE for me....

[planetsim]

Im a little concerned why are you using extract for?

But yes Chancer's way is much more efficient although i dont really think its required to have empty() used.

[Calahan]

I still can't get this to work. This is really lame. It's a simple piece of code! :mad:
Mozilla - no probs. Good 'ole Billy's contribution - nada.

Code on page one:

$_SESSION['test_cookie'] = 'test_cookie';

Code on page twp:

<?php
session_start();

$time = date('l jS F Y');

if (!isset($_SESSION['test_cookie']))
{
echo "<b><u><center>Either you chose not to accept the cookie or your browser is set to reject cookies</b></u><p>
You can fix this by following the steps below.<p>
First, select the browser you are using.<p>
<a href='ie.htm'>Internet Explorer</a><p>
<a href='mozilla.htm'>Mozilla</a><p>";
exit();
}
else
{
echo "<p align='center'><strong><u><font size='+3'>TITLE HERE </font></u></strong></p>
<p align='center'><strong><font size='+1'><u>" .$time. "</u><p><center></p>
<strong><font size='+2' color='red'><u>TEST COMPLETE</u><p>Cookies are enabled.</font></strong></p>

<b><p> You will now be redirected back to THE TITLE PAGE. If your browser doesn't support redirection and you're still here in 5 seconds,<br>
<a href='mainpage.php'>click here</b>
<meta http-equiv='Refresh' content='7; URL=mainpage.php'>";
}
?>

What am I doing wrong?

[planetsim]

Did you make sure the session was started before you initiated it on the previous page.

[Calahan]

Curse Bill Gates and all that is MS!
Having nearly completed my project, I still can't figure this out.

On page 1

<?php
session_start();

$_SESSION['test_cookie'] = "test_cookie";

$link_id = mysql_pconnect($Host, $User, $Pass) or die(mysql_error());

mysql_select_db($DB);

<form name='form_cookie_test' method='link'  action='cookie_test.php'>
<input name='cookie_test' type='submit' value='Test Cookies'>
</form>

On page 2 (the page that clicking the button above takes you to)

<?php
session_start();

if (@!($_SESSION['test_cookie'] == "test_cookie"))
{
echo "<b><u><center>Either you chose not to accept the cookie or your browser is set to reject cookies</b></u><p>
You can fix this by following the steps below.<p>
First, select the browser you are using.<p>
<a href='ie.htm'>Internet Explorer</a><p>
<a href='mozilla.htm'>Mozilla</a><p>";
exit();
}
else
{
blah
}

Works in Moz but not in IE.

What am I doing wrong?

[pablodelapena]

may sound silly, but are cookies enabled in IE?

[Calahan]

Thats the problem.

I have disabled cookies in IE and Mozilla. Mozilla realises this and redirects the user to the relevant page. IE continually tells me that the Cookie test was successful and that cookies are enabled (well my script does, but its the same thing).

What I can't understand is that the $_SESSION variable should not be "browser specific" as it is just sending a cookie and reading from a cookie hence my confusion when it works in one and not the other.....

[mtimdog]

Here's another question. IE stores cookies 2 ways...as a regular cookie that gets saved, and as per-session cookies that do not get stored. Where does $_SESSION variables go? I'm guessing in the per-session cookies. Try checking to see if they are allowed in your version of IE.

[Calahan]

I never knew that!
How long has IE been doing that then?
I've checked and you're right, IE is not storing the cookie in the temporary internet files folder. Clicking View-Privicy Report shows that the cookie is being accepted but clearly only as a Session cookie.

Any ideas as to how I would store the cookie as a regular cookie in IE? Only things that I've found on Google is people with the same problem.

[mtimdog]

If you really want to store in a cookie try using $COOKIE instead of $SESSION...

setcookie() is a good place to start...although it's pretty rough compared to just doing a session_start and using $_SESSIONs like variables.

1 good pieces of advice(if I remember correctly) I found is that cookies have to be set with the headers before any output.

good luck