set_cookie issues

Arc

Hey guys. I am trying to use set_cookie to put a cookie on the users computer so that they can log in to the password protected areas of my site and download certain files.

Sessions wont work with this because it involves numerous popup windows and since sessions dont carry over across multiple browser instances then it wont work.

I am not sure if the cookie is even being created..I cant find it on my computer doing a search, but then again I am not sure where to look exactly on winxp pro.

Here is the code I am using to set the cookie.

<?php
// Login Script
// Created By Lee hasley
If (!isset ($_POST['Login'])) {
  header("Location: login.php");
  exit();
}else{
$Username=$_POST['txtUsername'];
$Password=$_POST['txtPassword'];

  $status = auth_user($Username, $Password);

  If (!$status) {
    header("Location: login.php?msg=Incorrect Username, Password Combination");
    exit();
  } else {
    setcookie("CookieName", "logged in", time()+3600 * 24, "/");

header ("Location: loggedin.php");
  }
}

function auth_user($Username, $Password)
{

  if ($Username != "wer" && $Password != "wer"){
   return 0;
  }else {
    return 1;
  }
}
?>

Then I check to see if it exists on this page

<?php
// checklogin.php
// checks to see if user is logged in
if (!isset($_COOKIE['CookieName']))
{
	// if session check fails, invoke error handler
	header("Location: login.php");
	exit();
}
else
{
  header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must re-validate");
  header("Pragma: no-cache");
  header("Expires: Mon, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT");
  $URL = "http://www.mysite.com".$_GET['URL'];
 header("Location: $URL");
}
?>

Now i am not sure if the cookie is not being created or if my checking for it is not working..but either way it is redirecting me to the login page when I have already logged in.

Anyone know what I am doing wrong?

halojoy

I have not checked all this script,
but '$value' might be a bad name for that one.
What value has $value ?

To check your cookies, use your Browser preferenses or Cookies in 'menu'
in windows cookies are usually stored in a folder 'Cookies'
Search for a such folder.

Drakla

Sessions do work across multiple windows if you use [man]session_set_cookie_params[/man] to give it a lifetime away from the default zero value. If your server is propagating the sessid in the url then of course it's useless to you.

I'm too tired to debug, but put

echo '<pre>'; print_r($_COOKIE); echo '</pre>';

in your pages and see if there are any values in there.

Arc

Ahh yes, I did not set the $value variable to anything so it was empty. However, doing that made no difference in the way it is working.

setcookie("CookieName", "logged in", time()+3600 * 24, "/");

Arc

Originally posted by Drakla
Sessions do work across multiple windows if you use [man]session_set_cookie_params[/man] to give it a lifetime away from the default zero value. If your server is propagating the sessid in the url then of course it's useless to you.

I'm too tired to debug, but put
echo '<pre>'; print_r($_COOKIE); echo '</pre>';
in your pages and see if there are any values in there. [/B]

Thanks for the input.

I have put your code on the page and it displays
"Array
(
[PHPSESSID] => 5fd63025efea37d5a5bf2091db8446b6
)
"

which is the sessionid. However, when I click on a link that opens a new page it redirects me back to the login page....as if the session/cookie is not crossing over browser windows.

if I login and brows in the same window I get this..
"Array
(
[PHPSESSID] => 1669914029100c74abc33c1f8aa096f4
[CookieName] => logged in
)"

which shows the session Id and the cookie name/value. So apparently the cookie is being set but it is not working across browser windows.

I also tried using

  session_set_cookie_params(2000);
session_start();
setcookie("CookieName", "logged in", time()+3600 * 24, "/");

but it hasn't made any difference.

Thanks!

Arc

Everything seems to work fine as long as everything is done in a single browser instance. But I want the user to be able to close the browser window and come back whenever they want without having to log in again.

How do you do this?

Thanks!

halojoy

Arc,
have a look into this thread, where me and Vampirev got it to work
in the end!
Maybe you will find something useful .... Cookies - a dirty word

also you should do a forum search for 'setcookie'

Arc

Thanks halo, but I don't see anything different on there than what I am already doing. Does that code of his work across multiple browser instances?

As long as I keep everything in the same window mine works fine...its when I open a new window that is doesnt see the cookie...which makes no sense to me sense the cookie is supposed to be on the users computer. If it's on the users computer it should be able to see it even if they open up new browser instances....

/sigh

halojoy

Okay,
if no difference,then it should work, like that code Vampirev uses.
To blame it on being a browser thing, I think is to seek in wrong place.
🙂

You have showed us too little of your code.
How does your script read and check for cookie?
How many pages are involved?
In what order are those php functions of yours executed?

Many questions and we poor guys can only makes guessing out of the blue.
😕

Drakla

This is some old tripe I wrote to check cookies back when I was starting, and I've just checked and it does work across browsers instances if you don't tick the session only box.

Run it, in one window, create a cookie, then open a new window paste in the url and see if there are cookies set.