[RESOLVED] Newbie Problems - Do I need cookies or sessions here?

_Lisa_

Hi.

I'm storing small amounts of data in flat files and trying to retrieve it. I can successfully create and write to a file, find the file and echo the contents, but I'm trying to get that data to the next page after the user confirms that the data retrieved is correct. I'm very new to php, so if you could point me in the right direction on what is the best way to do this, I'd really appreciate it. I've read (and tried to utilize) several tutorials on cookies and sessions, but I'm not getting how either one would work in my particular situation.

I'm trying to move the variable (or rather the contents of the variable) $file to the next page.

Here's the code...

<?php

$accountname = $_POST['accountname'];
$ending = ".txt";
$filename = "$accountname$ending";

if (file_exists($filename)) //check if file exists
	{
		echo "<b>Account Found...</b>"; //visual error checking...if this is echoed, file exists...even if code below doesn't work

		$file = fopen($filename, "r") or exit("Unable to open account!");
		//echo each line of the file until the end is reached
			while(!feof($file))
			{
			echo fgets($file). "<br />";
			}

	fclose($filename);  //close the file
	echo '<a href="shortform.php">Continue...</a>';
}
else  
{
echo "<b>Sorry.  I couldn't find your account under the name: $accountname.</b>";
  ?>
  <br />
  <?php
echo "Account names are alphanumeric only, case sensitive, and can not have spaces or symbols of any type.";
?>
	<br><br>
	<a href="createaccount.php">Create Account</a>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;
	<a href="login.php">Go Back</a>
<?php
}
?>

You may have noticed that there's no attempt in the code to move the variable to the next page. I've tried numerous different methods, but none seem to accomplish what I'm trying to do, so I took them out so I don't confuse you as much as I've confused myself.

I'd like to move $file to "shortform.php" where the user would fill out a few additional questions then from "shortform.php" to "mailprocess.php" to be emailed with the data retrieved from "shortform.php".

What is the best method to do this?

Is it a problem with fgets()? I'm storing name, address, and phone number (each on a new line) in the flat file and need to return it the same way with one item per line.

jazz_snob

Variables don't exist between requests. Sessions do. Sounds like you have this situation:

Find some data, have user confirm its what they want, get some info from a form, then send it to them.

I'm not sure exactly what you're doing to "find data" but lets say you have to munge a bunch of stuff to come up w/ a subset of info for the user. I would do something like this:

use sessions
munge and extract data and store into $_SESSION
user completes form
if form validates then send data, then kill the session which I usually do w/

$_SESSION = array();
session_destroy();

Session data is stored server side in a file by default. All you have to do is stuff it into the $_SESSION array and read it back out. If you use a cookie you would be placing the data client side (ie in the user's browser). I think a session is better and easier. Of course the session could use cookies if you configure it that way, but that just means a session identifier is placed in a cookie in the user's browser; the session data is still stored on the server.

_Lisa_

Thanks Jazz_Snob!

I got it to work using sessions.

I was trying to read out the flat file and store that data in a session. It wasn't working. Maybe there is a way to do it that I don't know about, but all I really needed to do was pass the value of $filename. Once I move $filename to the next page, I can use fopen, fread, and fclose to extract the data from that file again.

In case someone else is having a similar problem, here's the code I got to work...

<?php session_start(); ?>
<html>
<head></head>
<body></body>
</html>
<?php

$accountname = $_POST['accountname'];
$ending = ".txt";
$filename = "$accountname$ending";
$_SESSION['sessionfile']= $filename;

//begin the actions...

if (file_exists($filename)) //check if file exists
	{
		echo "<b>Account Found...</b>"; //visual error checking...if this is echoed, file exists...even if code below doesn't work

		$file = fopen($filename, "r") or exit("Unable to open account!");
		//Output each line of the file until the end is reached
			while(!feof($file))
			{
			echo fgets($file). "<br />";
			}

	fclose($filename);  //close the file
	echo '<a href="shortform.php">Continue...</a>';
}
else  
{
echo "<b>Sorry.  I couldn't find your account under the name: $accountname.</b>";
  ?>
  <br />
  <?php
echo "Account names are alphanumeric only, case sensitive, and can not have spaces or symbols of any type.";
?>
	<br><br>
	<a href="createaccount.php">Create Account</a>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;
	<a href="login.php">Go Back</a>
<?php
}
?>

This works if included in the next page (in my case "shortform.php") ...

<?php

session_start();

if(isset($_SESSION['sessionfile']))
  echo $_SESSION['sessionfile'];

else
  echo "session data not passed"
?>

Of course echoing it out only proves that it passes the data successfully. When I use fopen, fread, and fclose, it will open the file and read the data again.

One last question...
Since this data is stored on the server, and I don't want to destroy the session until 2 or 3 pages after it is started...what happens if I get a lot of people that don't make it all the way to the place where I destroy the session? Will it cause a problem with the server?

Jack_McSlay

Sessions will be destroyed by PHP's garbage collector if inactive for a long period of time. see the session section on your php.ini for more info