Sessions

[seanf]

Hi,

I am using this code from php.net

<?php
session_register ("count");
$count++;
?>

Hello visitor, you have seen this page <?php echo $count; ?> times.<p>

<php?
# the <?=SID?> is necessary to preserve the session id
# in the case that the user has disabled cookies
?>

To continue, <A HREF="nextpage.php?<?=SID?>">click here</A>

It works, but the session id is not added to the url. I just get nextpage.php?

Can anybody help
Sean

[freddydoesphp]

There are a couple problems with your code, first you aren't printing any variable, SID should be $SID if that is what session.name is set to in the php.ini file. Normally by default its $PHPSESSID, and unless you or your host has changed it should still be $PHPSESSID Also in order for your script to get the value it must look like

To continue, <A HREF="nextpage.php?PHPSESSID=<?=$PHPSESSID?>">click here</A>

Or if you sure uses SID then

To continue, <A HREF="nextpage.php?SID=<?=$SID?>">click here</A>

Also the reason it works is because it sets a session cookie to your computer to hold the session id, so the only reason you would need to pass the session id in the url is if the user has cookies turned off.

[7stud]

Hi,

Is this the first time you have ever used sessions? If it is, you have to change something in your php.ini file. Look for these lines:

[Session]
; Handler used to store/retrieve data.
session.save_handler = files

; Argument passed to save_handler. In the case of files, this is the path
; where data files are stored.
session.save_path = "d:\phpSessions2"

You have to create a file anywhere on your computer for sessions to save variable/value information with the session id. You have to change the value of session.save_path from the default "/tmp" to a folder you create on your computer. As you can see, the path to my folder for session information is:

d:\phpSessions2

Otherwise, everything looks fine with your code (except for: <php?)
I am afraid freddydoesphp was incorrect when he said you did not have the proper syntax with this statement:

<A HREF="nextpage.php?<?=SID?>">

That is the format that the php manual recommends even though it looks strange. See here freddy:

http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.session.php

The constant SID has this string in it:

"PHPSESSID=$PHPSESSID"

<? and ?> are deprecated php tags, and

=SID

is the same as:

echo SID

AND the last line of php before a closing php tag does not need a semicolon....lol. It is a horrible construct!

[freddydoesphp]

Hmm.. weird, you are correct 7stud, although when I used this code:

session_start();
print SID; 

I get

SID=44kjhnb42kjh42jhsfv8ew3

but if I refresh I get nothing, seems a little inconsistent. Anyways I usually just let the cookies handle it, and I have --enable-trans-sid for the weenies who have cookies turned off.

[7stud]

Hi freddy,

I am not sure the exact mechanism of how SID works. As your test shows php can tell what the context is somehow. I don't know if you saw the end of my post because you responded so quickly.

[seanf]

Hi,

The code is straight from the PHP manual Freddy. I have just started using sessions and everything works fine apart from SID. I was just playing about with passing the session ID in the url and was just wondering if anyone knew why SID did not work.

... the last line of php before a closing php tag does not need a semicolon....lol. It is a horrible construct!

Better tell them to change the manual then!

Otherwise, everything looks fine with your code (except for: <php?)

Yeah, I changed this but put the original code here, DOH!

Sean

[freddydoesphp]

seanf don't forget the user postings in the manual are from guys and gals just like us, so don't expect them to be perfect.

[seanf]

Hi,

If you go to the session page http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.session.php it is example number 3.

Sean

[7stud]

Hi,

I tried your script and no session id appeared in the url for me either. So,
I disabled cookies,and then when I tried the script I got:

http://localhost/nextpage.php?PHPSESSID=
db2e9e3c27a2fc96ed0acdf3d43838e3&PHPSESSID=
db2e9e3c27a2fc96ed0acdf3d43838e3

lol...the session id appeared twice. Then when I turned cookies back on,
the session id was still there twice. I don't know
if php tries to detect whether it needs to include
SID in the url or not.