Session variables not being set

okamosy

I'm having problems with sessions when using PHP 4.3.2 with Apache 1.3.24.

In my code, a logged in user can create new events.

Once they've entered all the information into a form, they can click either Submit or Next. If they click Submit, the event will be created in the database, and the form redisplayed with a success message. If they click Next, the event will be created in the database, and the next form will be displayed.

The problem I'm having is when the user clicks Submit, then Next. In my code, the Next button checks to see if the eventID has been set in the session, and if not it will create the event and move on. If the eventID is set, then it just advances the page. However, eventID is not being set, so the event is being created twice. Below is a sample of my code:

// event_admin_form.php

session_start ()
...
_process_event_details_page ($buttonClicked, $action)
...

// Function definition within the same file
function _process_event_details_page ($buttonClicked, $action)
{
// Check form for errors
  switch ($buttonClicked)
  {
    case 'Submit':
      // Create the event
      $_SESSION['eventID'] = $eventID;
      // Redisplay the page
      break;
    case 'Next':
      if (isset ($_SESSION['eventID']) == false)
      {
        // Create the event
        $_SESSION['eventID'] = $eventID;
      }
      // Display the next page
      break;
    } // end switch
} // end function

keith73

where is the variable $eventID being assigned a value??

it appears it is not being set in the function so right there you have a scope problem. it isn't global.

and if it is being set outside the function, where is that?

keith

okamosy

Replace
// Create the event
with
$eventID = db_create_event (...)

Sorry for the confusion

keith73

Originally posted by okamosy
Replace
// Create the event
with
$eventID = db_create_event (...)

Sorry for the confusion

try to verify that the function db_create_event() is actually returning the id. show the code for that function.

keith

okamosy

I already do that, and it returns successfully.

The problem is that once the event is created, and the page served showing success, if I look at the session file created, I don't see the eventID.

I have tried using

session_register ('eventID');

but all that accomplishes is putting eventID in the session with a NULL value.

Here's a complete copy of the code for that session. If there's a problem in db_create_event, then I return false, otherwise I return the eventID. I've verified that the function is returning a value by echoing it out to the browser.

$eventID = db_create_event (...);
if ($eventID === false)
{
  display_error (...);
  exit;
}
else
{
  echo 'The eventID was set as: '.$eventID.'<br />';
  $_SESSION['eventID'] = $eventID;
}

keith73

session_register is deprecated and should not be used.

as for the rest of the code, I can't tell what's going on from the bits and pieces you've posted.

Is everything happening in the same file, event_admin_form.php ? meaning, does that page post to itself and then display the information?

keith

okamosy

I understand that session_register is deprecated, I just used it in an attempt to figure out why $_SESSION['eventID'] wasn't working.

As for the flow of code, it's a bit complicated. I have several "helper" files that contain functions that I use, such as display, and database functions. Then the main forms are used for processing of use input. It might help if I repost the complete relavent code for the event_admin_form

// event_admin_form.php 

session_start () 
... 
_process_event_details_page ($buttonClicked, $action) 
... 

// Function definition within the same file 
function _process_event_details_page ($buttonClicked, $action) 
{ 
  $eventDetails = array ();
  // Validate the user input and place in the $eventDetails array.

  // Figure out which button was clicked
  switch ($buttonClicked) 
  { 
    case 'Submit': 
      $eventID = db_create_event ($eventDetails);
      if ($eventID === false)
      {
        display_error ('The event could not be created.');
      }
      else
      {
        echo 'The eventID is: '.$eventID.'<br />';
        $_SESSION['eventID'] = $eventID; 
        display_event_details_form ();
      }
      break; 
    case 'Next': 
      if (isset ($_SESSION['eventID']) == false) 
      { 
        $eventID = db_create_event ($eventDetails);
        if ($eventID === false)
        {
          display_error ('The event could not be created.');
          exit;
        }
        else
        {
          echo 'The eventID is: '.$eventID.'<br />';
          $_SESSION['eventID'] = $eventID; 
        } // end if
      } // end if
      display_next_page (); 
      break; 
    } // end switch 
} // end function

I hope this clears up what it is that I am trying to do. I'm sorry for only posting portions of the code, as it gets rather lengthy and is mostly data validation on user input strings. But I hope that this answers your questions.

I guess I just don't understand why it is that $_SESSION['name'] works in some situations, and not in others. I don't have this problem in the login script. And I have combed through it to figure out if there is something that I am doing different, but there isn't!

okamosy

OK...now I'm not sure why, but the problem that I was having seems to have resolved itself. I wish that I could post a solution so that people who run into this know how to fix it, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thanks for your help, though!