Cookies not being set correctly

Debbie-Leigh

Hi,

Has anyone come across this cookie problem before?

I'm trying to update a cookie value within a switch statement, however it won't update the cookie with the new value, but if I move the setcookie statement before the switch, it works. Example:

In the switch:

switch ($testvar):
case 1:
	setcookie("TestCookie","value 01",strtotime("+1 year"),"/",".mydomain.com",0);
	break;
default:
	// something else
	break;
endswitch;

Before the switch:

setcookie("TestCookie","value 01",strtotime("+1 year"),"/",".mydomain.com",0);
switch ($testvar):
case 1:
	break;
default:
	// something else
	break;
endswitch;

Does anyone know why this happens? I've also tried it with a Set-Cookie header statement, but the same thing happens. It also seems to happen when I call a function:

if  (funValidateFields()):
	setcookie("TestCookie","value 01",strtotime("+1 year"),"/",".mydomain.com",0);
endif;
function funValidateFields() {
	return true;
}

If I put the setcookie either before the if or even in the function, the cookie is updated, however it isn't when setcookie appears within the if.

This has me complete foxed and I'm sure it's something simple, but I can't see the wood for trees. Can anyone suggest what I could be missing?

DebbieLeigh

dalecosp

Well, the first question is an obvious mistake that I've made before ....

You must reload the page in order for the cookie to be visible to
the current browser instance ...

Your script (the switched one) works for me, here, with my path set
and $testvar=1 as the first line ... just had to pop the reload button
a couple of times...

Debbie-Leigh

Hi dalecosp,

Yes, I've been pressing F5 and clicking the Refresh button, but it does no good. The full code actually sets the cookie then redirects to the next page, which doesn't receive the latest value (it actually receives the value set on the previous test).

But, then again, I thought that the whole idea of cookies is that they are automatically presented to the script with the latest value. I mean what's the use of having to rely on the user to refresh their page to be able to use your cookies, because that just won't happen, will it?

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

DebbieLeigh

Debbie-Leigh

Hi,

I've found out now that it's the redirect (header ("Location: http://wherever.com") that stops the cookie being sent to the browser. I've used telnet and discovered that the Set-Cookie isn't actually being sent from the server at all when a header location is sent.

When I take the redirect out, the cookie is sent and set properly, but when I put it back in, the cookie stops being sent.

Does anyone have any idea as to why a redirect would stop a cookie from being sent from the server?

DebbieLeigh