Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > PHP

MrMan9879 · Feb 19th, 2008, 12:47 AM

I'm trying to learn more about PHP sessions, as I'm going to be using them in a website I'm building soon.

Anyways, my problem with them is that I'm wondering how I can make them last after the user's browser is closed.

Here is a code example:

(Toggle Plain Text)

<?php
start_session();

$_SESSION['name']='Andrew';
$_SESSION['country']='Canada';
$_SESSION['age']=16;

?>

Then obviously I would view the session on another page with code like this:

(Toggle Plain Text)

<?php
start_session();

echo $_SESSION['name'];
//and so on

?>

Now, as I understand it... sessions are stored in a cookie on the user's browser so that other scripts can use them and such. The above code always works, and I can go to another page and come back and it still works. But, if I close my browser and I come back to the page that views the session variables, they aren't set anymore.

I've tried changing settings like session:cookie.lifetime, session:cookie.expire, etc. but so far, I've pretty much had no luck. I've searched with google thoroughly and checked the PHP manual, and I haven't found anything that's helped me out.

So, anyone have anything that'll help me out? Basically, I'm going to be using sessions with MySQL for authentication and such, so I figured it would be nice to have users logged in when they come back after closing their browsers. I assume this is possible, as I've seen it before, but perhaps the websites were using something different?

Ooble · Feb 19th, 2008, 1:33 AM

The whole point of a session cookie is that it lasts for the duration of your session - i.e. until you close your browser, at which point it nukes all session cookies. If you want persistent cookies, use $_COOKIE and the setcookie function.

MrMan9879 · Feb 19th, 2008, 5:30 PM

Alright, I guess I misunderstood what sessions did... thanks for your help.

MrMan9879 · Feb 19th, 2008, 8:08 PM

Alright, so now I'm working on the actual authentication script for my website, and I'm using cookies. I tested out cookies, and I had them working, but now when I try it, it isn't working.

Here is my code:

(Toggle Plain Text)

while ($result=mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
		//loop through the usernames and passwords
		if (($new_user == $result['username']) && ($new_password == $result['password'])) {
			//if the user matches a user in the database, setup the cookies
			setcookie('user_name', $new_user, time()+3600);
			setcookie('password', $new_password, time()+3600);

			//create the session variables
			$_SESSION['user_name'] = $_COOKIE['user_name'];
			$_SESSION['password'] = $_COOKIE['password'];
			
			print_r($_SESSION);
			print_r($_COOKIE);
			
			//create normal variables
			$user = $_SESSION['user_name'];
			$password = $_SESSION['password'];
			
			//end the loop
			break;
		}
	}

I basically just have it looping through a mysql query looking to match a username and password, and then it puts it into a cookie, then a session cookie and a variable. It wasn't working, so I used print_r to view what's in the $_SESSION and $_COOKIE global array, but there was nothing in it.

Any thoughts on why exactly it doesn't work?

Syntax_Error · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:10 PM

are the passwords in your database encrypted? or rather are you encrypting the pass on its way to the query? any mismatch of encryption would throw it.

Ooble · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:22 PM

I'd like to see the code before that segment - problem could be up there.

MrMan9879 · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:28 PM

Well, I used the sha1() function to encrypt the password, but I have the same thing in the database.

For example, the password for the user I am testing with is asdfasdf, which is changed to: 92429d82a41e930486c6de5ebda9602d55c39986

The password in the database is also: 92429d82a41e930486c6de5ebda9602d55c39986.

I don't think the password is a problem, because it gets through the loop and it gets to the part where it has

print_r($_SESSION)

But, it shows a blank array.

Ooble · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:44 PM

Have you called session_start?

MrMan9879 · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:45 PM

I'm pretty sure I have... and I'll check now... but is session_start() necessary for cookies to work?

EDIT: Just checked... printing the $_COOKIE array does display a session ID, therefore I can safely assume that I started it.

Dameon · Feb 19th, 2008, 9:59 PM

I'm not going to comment on the rest of it yet, but I will say that you should look in to WHERE clauses in SQL. Looping through all user records is bad. Tell the database which one you are looking for.

Feb 19th, 2008, 12:47 AM	#1
MrMan9879 Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 95 Rep Power: 0	Sessions Problem I'm trying to learn more about PHP sessions, as I'm going to be using them in a website I'm building soon. Anyways, my problem with them is that I'm wondering how I can make them last after the user's browser is closed. Here is a code example: (Toggle Plain Text) <?php start_session(); $_SESSION['name']='Andrew'; $_SESSION['country']='Canada'; $_SESSION['age']=16; ?> <?php start_session(); $_SESSION['name']='Andrew'; $_SESSION['country']='Canada'; $_SESSION['age']=16; ?> Then obviously I would view the session on another page with code like this: (Toggle Plain Text) <?php start_session(); echo $_SESSION['name']; //and so on ?> <?php start_session(); echo $_SESSION['name']; //and so on ?> Now, as I understand it... sessions are stored in a cookie on the user's browser so that other scripts can use them and such. The above code always works, and I can go to another page and come back and it still works. But, if I close my browser and I come back to the page that views the session variables, they aren't set anymore. I've tried changing settings like session:cookie.lifetime, session:cookie.expire, etc. but so far, I've pretty much had no luck. I've searched with google thoroughly and checked the PHP manual, and I haven't found anything that's helped me out. So, anyone have anything that'll help me out? Basically, I'm going to be using sessions with MySQL for authentication and such, so I figured it would be nice to have users logged in when they come back after closing their browsers. I assume this is possible, as I've seen it before, but perhaps the websites were using something different? Last edited by MrMan9879; Feb 19th, 2008 at 12:48 AM. Reason: punctuation error

Feb 19th, 2008, 1:33 AM	#2
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 8	Re: Sessions Problem The whole point of a session cookie is that it lasts for the duration of your session - i.e. until you close your browser, at which point it nukes all session cookies. If you want persistent cookies, use `$_COOKIE` and the `setcookie` function. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Feb 19th, 2008, 5:30 PM	#3
MrMan9879 Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 95 Rep Power: 0	Re: Sessions Problem Alright, I guess I misunderstood what sessions did... thanks for your help.

Feb 19th, 2008, 8:08 PM	#4
MrMan9879 Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 95 Rep Power: 0	Re: Sessions Problem Alright, so now I'm working on the actual authentication script for my website, and I'm using cookies. I tested out cookies, and I had them working, but now when I try it, it isn't working. Here is my code: (Toggle Plain Text) while ($result=mysql_fetch_array($query)) { //loop through the usernames and passwords if (($new_user == $result['username']) && ($new_password == $result['password'])) { //if the user matches a user in the database, setup the cookies setcookie('user_name', $new_user, time()+3600); setcookie('password', $new_password, time()+3600); //create the session variables $_SESSION['user_name'] = $_COOKIE['user_name']; $_SESSION['password'] = $_COOKIE['password']; print_r($_SESSION); print_r($_COOKIE); //create normal variables $user = $_SESSION['user_name']; $password = $_SESSION['password']; //end the loop break; } } while ($result=mysql_fetch_array($query)) { //loop through the usernames and passwords if (($new_user == $result['username']) && ($new_password == $result['password'])) { //if the user matches a user in the database, setup the cookies setcookie('user_name', $new_user, time()+3600); setcookie('password', $new_password, time()+3600); //create the session variables $_SESSION['user_name'] = $_COOKIE['user_name']; $_SESSION['password'] = $_COOKIE['password']; print_r($_SESSION); print_r($_COOKIE); //create normal variables $user = $_SESSION['user_name']; $password = $_SESSION['password']; //end the loop break; } } I basically just have it looping through a mysql query looking to match a username and password, and then it puts it into a cookie, then a session cookie and a variable. It wasn't working, so I used print_r to view what's in the $_SESSION and $_COOKIE global array, but there was nothing in it. Any thoughts on why exactly it doesn't work?

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:10 PM	#5
Syntax_Error Programmer Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: Sessions Problem are the passwords in your database encrypted? or rather are you encrypting the pass on its way to the query? any mismatch of encryption would throw it.

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:22 PM	#6
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 8	Re: Sessions Problem I'd like to see the code before that segment - problem could be up there. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:28 PM	#7
MrMan9879 Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 95 Rep Power: 0	Re: Sessions Problem Well, I used the sha1() function to encrypt the password, but I have the same thing in the database. For example, the password for the user I am testing with is asdfasdf, which is changed to: 92429d82a41e930486c6de5ebda9602d55c39986 The password in the database is also: 92429d82a41e930486c6de5ebda9602d55c39986. I don't think the password is a problem, because it gets through the loop and it gets to the part where it has print_r($_SESSION) But, it shows a blank array.

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:44 PM	#8
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 8	Re: Sessions Problem Have you called `session_start`? __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:45 PM	#9
MrMan9879 Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 95 Rep Power: 0	Re: Sessions Problem I'm pretty sure I have... and I'll check now... but is session_start() necessary for cookies to work? EDIT: Just checked... printing the $_COOKIE array does display a session ID, therefore I can safely assume that I started it.

Feb 19th, 2008, 9:59 PM	#10
Dameon Troll Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 730 Rep Power: 4	Re: Sessions Problem I'm not going to comment on the rest of it yet, but I will say that you should look in to WHERE clauses in SQL. Looping through all user records is bad. Tell the database which one you are looking for. __________________ MD5(sig) = bcef75433db02e9ad9bf81d6f7c5c270

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Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > PHP

Sessions Problem