Cookies/php session management

[joanne_w]

I am new to php, i am doing a degree in Information systems, and i really need some help with a task i have been given. The task is as follows:

Create a registration page for clients. All that is required is an email address (no password). This email address should be stored on the client as a cookie, either directly of by using PHP’s session management (the latter approach will earn more marks).

Following the initial registration session, cookies (or sessions) should be used to identify customers returning to the site (we will ignore the unique identification problems that this poses). Create a basic home page with space for an animated banner advertisement, and incorporate a message of the form Welcome email_address.

Now in English, I take this to mean that i need to create a page that knows if there is a cookie set, and either, send the user to a login page if there isn't, or display a message saying "Welcome" and the user's email address. I really have no idea how to even begin, and was hoping that someone could give me a bit of help.

Thanks.

[vponz]

try with this:

$cookie_name = "whatever";
if (!isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[$cookie])){
header("location: login.php");
}else{
echo "Welcome " . $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[$cookie];
}

// Be aware of not sending any html before using the function header(). See the manual for header(), ob_start() and ob_end_clean().

In the login.php page, you have to put this code to create the cookie:

setcookie($cookie_name, $value, time()+ a time);

Hope it helps you!

[joanne_w]

Thanks for that, i'll give it a try and let you know 🙂

[suepahfly]

This wil do regerstration

<?PHP
//Check if we POST information
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == "POST"))
{
     setcookie('email',$_POST['email'],time() + (3600*356));
     echo "The infomation was stored";
}

// First check to see if a cookie with email is set
if(isset($_COOKIE['email']))
{
     //Doe some html here for banners
     echo "Welcome ". $COOKIE['email'];

}
else 
{
    //the email cookie was not found, display a form where people can fill in their email adress
    echo "<form action=\"". $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."\" METHOD=POST\">
    <input name=\"email\" type=\"text\">
    <input name=\"Submit\" type=\"submit\">
    </form>"; 
}

[joanne_w]

That's great, thanks so much