Session Data loss

lthaete

I have a site where I have several define() values that define different states the page is currently in. I store the current state in 2 session variable $SESSION["CURRENT_PAGE"] and
$SESSSION["CURRENT_ACTION"].
The problem is when I view the site with internet explorer those two variables cannot be changed in the session by current page, though this does work with netscape and mozilla. The two variables stay fixed at there initial values, the wierd part is that I change there values and for th rest of the page and functions called those values are correct they just never make it back to the session file. Also other values in the session can be changed and they are stored back to the file.

Has anyone seen any problem like this before I have run out of ideas for what the cause of the problem is.

rachel2004

So let me make sure I understand this correctly:

Using the define() function, you created two constants: CURRENT_PAGE and CURRENT_ACTION. You didn't say what value you assigned to them, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you created them as constants, so their values do not change.

If that's the case, why would you expect their values to change simply because you're registered them as session variables?

Or am I missing something?

Or is there more to the story that you haven't elaborated?

Please explain further or post your code or both.

lthaete

Sorry I didn't explain well enough I was storing define values into session variables but the values were not getting written back to the the session file but they did appear in the $_SESSION array while the scrit was executing. Also I just solved the problem, the guy that helped do the page graphics used some 1x1 filler images he called spacer as the image source. Those images however did not exist this caused some of the changed session variables to not be written back to the session file, yes I have a very hard time believing it myself. I have reproduced this several times and cleared the problem up on the site by making sure this image file existed. It only effected IE browsers. Thanks for the help.

lthaete

Here is the code to reproduce the results.
Break into files named by the markers.
Then open the index page with IE (I was using version 6).
The page data on the page and in the sess file will match.
Now follow the link to page one the session data seen with
print_r will be correct, but the session data in the sess file
will have not changed. It is because of the image tag with
no image entry. Remove the image tag and refresh and the page
and the session file will match. Now replace the image tag
and refresh the page the session file will revert to it origional
value, the one stored from the index page even if you are on
page one. This does not happen with netscape or mozilla.

--------------------- constants.php --------------------
<?
define("PAGE_INDEX", 0);
define("PAGE_ONE", 1);
define("ACTION_INDEX", 0);
define("ACTION_ONE", 1);
?>
-------------------- index.php --------------------------
<?
require "constants.php";
session_start();
$SESSION["CURRENT_PAGE"] = PAGE_INDEX;
$SESSION["CURRENT_ACTION"] = ACTION_INDEX;
?>

<html>
<head>
<title>Session Error Index Page</title>
</head>
<body>
Session Error Index Page
<pre>
<? print_r($SESSION); ?>
</pre>
<br>
<a href="one.php">Session Error Page One</a>
<br>
<img src="" border="0" width="1" height="1">
</body>
</html>
----------------- one.php ----------------------
<?
require "constants.php";
session_start();
$SESSION["CURRENT_PAGE"] = PAGE_ONE;
$_SESSION["CURRENT_ACTION"] = ACTION_ONE;
?>

<html>
<head>
<title>Session Error Page One</title>
</head>
<body>
Session Error Page One
<pre>
<? print_r($_SESSION); ?>
</pre>
<br>
<img src="" border="0" width="1" height="1">
</body>

</html>

MrCool

Ok, good you solved the problem, but something struck me in your script, if you want to know the users current page, wouldn't PHP_SELF be better?

lthaete

Yes it would but this is just a very small piece of a large site that I had to keep track of different user actions.

MrCool

put the actions in the address bar using get method and then use QUERY_STRING, but who am I anyway to argue about ur site?😕
Anyway, good luck with the coding!