[RESOLVED] Un Setting selected Session Variables

Blulagoon

I've got a series of php pages that write a number of session variables, some of which I want to selectively delete. Using the following code I am getting Apache errors, although I have no problem if I comment out the line beginning unset.

Am I missing something, or should I be doing this another way ?

foreach ($_SESSION as $key=>$value)  {
 if(ereg("my_pattern", $key))  {
  unset($_SESSION[$key]);
}
}

I know many people prefer to use preg_match, but thats not where this script is falling down. I can echo out $key and $value both before and after the ereg() so I know its finding exactly the session vars I want to delete. I tried using $_SESSION['$key'], but as I suspected that didn't help in the slightest.

Useful pointers very welcome, I suspect I'm missing something quite simple.
Blu.

NogDog

Exactly what error message(s) do you get? I don't see anything obviously wrong that should be causing an error.

Chemist

Something else must be going on. This worked for me.

foreach ($_SESSION as $key=>$value)  {
	if(ereg("my_pattern", $key))  {
	  	echo "<br>" , $_SESSION[$key] , "<br>";
	  	unset($_SESSION[$key]); 
	}
}

Don

Blulagoon

Error Message is:

"Apache HTTP Server has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

In one of those Microsoft Dialog boxes one usually associates with Internet Explorer 6 wanting to shut down, with the offer to send a report to Mr Gates.

Blu

NogDog

Based on this bug report, you might want to try this workaround:

$helper=&$_SESSION;  // make sure you include the "&"
foreach ($helper as $key => $value){
   if(ereg("my_pattern", $key))  {
      unset($helper[$key]);
   }
}

bradgrafelman

What version of Apache & PHP are you running? I'm running Apache 2.0.59 and PHP 5.2.1 and am not affected by this bug.

Blulagoon

Apache 2.2.3 (Win 32) and PHP 5.2.0

Blulagoon

Thanks NogDog, that bug fix works, using $helper.

Blu

bradgrafelman

Note that if you upgrade to PHP 5.2.1, that bug has been resolved (at least, it seems to be nonexistent in my installaion).