Simple PHP question - $_SESSION

berzerker · Feb 21, 2009

hey everyone, I've got a pretty basic question about using $_SESSION in PHP.

here goes: a user enters their name and info and page1, and I want their information to display as "welcome user" on page 2.

It doesn't seem difficult at all, but when page 2 loads, the echo return nothing, they're blank.

Page 1:

PHP:

<? session_start ();
$_SESSION['userFirstName'] = $first;
$_SESSION['userLastName'] = $last;
$_SESSION['userAddress'] = $address;
$_SESSION['userCity'] = $city;
$_SESSION['userState'] = $state;

include ('page2.php');
header('Refresh: 0;url=hyperlink to page 2');
 ?>

Page 2:

PHP:

<?php session_start ();
 echo$_SESSION['userFirstName']; 
 echo$_SESSION['userLastName'];  <br />
echo$_SESSION['userAddress']; <br />
echo$_SESSION['userCity']; 
 echo$_SESSION['userState']; ?>

It seems like the easiest thing in the world, HELP!

graham23s · Feb 21, 2009

Hi Matey,

on page 1, where are you getting the $first, $last variables from? also you are incuding page 2 in page 1 instead of hyperlinking it, can you comment out the refresh

Graham

confined · Feb 21, 2009

FIrst, make sure <?php is the VERY FIRST THING On the page.

Second, there needs to be a space after echo. so it would look like this:

PHP:

<?php
echo $_SESSION['userFirstName'];

//etc
?>

If that doesn't work, use session_write_close(); at the bottom of page 1.

berzerker · Feb 21, 2009

on page 1, where are you getting the $first, $last variables from? also you are incuding page 2 in page 1 instead of hyperlinking it, can you comment out the refresh

on page 1 the vars come from a form with fields 'first' and 'last' etc. The user is inputting their info into my form which submits to a MySQL database.

Once the form is submitted it directs to page 1, where the $_SESSION information is defined.

If I comment out the refresh and inactivate it, won't the page have nowhere to go?

Your help is much appreciated

graham23s · Feb 21, 2009

Hi Mate,

if you do:

PHP:

<a href="page2.php">Click here to goto page 2</a>

this is a lot better to navigate to the second page than refresh

can you put <?php instead of <? (this is totally depending on how your server is set up)

also can you echo out $first as a test just to make sure it contains a value

Graham

confined · Feb 22, 2009

Actually, after looking at it more thoroughly... it won't work if you include page2.php because the session didn't write or close. You need to redirect or use a href like said. It won't work with include()

berzerker · Feb 22, 2009

OK, here's a sample of the code I have, see what you think...

Assume 'first' and 'last' are input in a form on the very previous page.

Page1:

PHP:

<?php
session_start ();
$_SESSION['userFirstName'] = $first;
$_SESSION['userLastName'] = $last;
?>

Page2:

PHP:

<?php session_start(); ?>
<?php echo $_SESSION['userFirstName']; ?><?php echo $_SESSION['userLastName']; ?>

That seems like the most basic usage $_SESSION - shouldn't that work?

@confined - Are you saying that I need to write or close the session page1?

Thanks again

graham23s · Feb 22, 2009

Hi Mate,

"Assume 'first' and 'last' are input in a form on the very previous page."

You need to catch the input on page 1 before you can assign it to a session like:

PHP:

  <!-- The html form index.php -->
  <form action="page1.php" method="POST" />
  <input type="text" name="txtUserFirstName"  />
  <input type="text" name="txtUserLastName"  />
  <input type="submit" name="submit-info" value="Ok" />
  </form>

<?php
 session_start(); // Must always be first :)
 // Page1.php (coming from the html form)
 // Grab the POST data that was inputted
 $first = $_POST['txtUserFirstName'];
 $last  = $_POST['txtUserLastName'];
 
 // Once the POST data has been put into variables assign them to the sessions
 $_SESSION['fName'] = $first;
 $_SESSION['lName'] = $last;

?>

<?php
 session_start(); // Must always be first :)
 
 // Page2.php (coming from page1.php)
print "welcome $first how are you today?";
?>

hope that helps

Graham

lord · Mar 8, 2009

CODE for page 1

PHP:

<? session_start ();
$_SESSION['userFirstName'] = $first;
$_SESSION['userLastName'] = $last;
$_SESSION['userAddress'] = $address;
$_SESSION['userCity'] = $city;
$_SESSION['userState'] = $state;

header('Location: http://www.example.com/page2.php');
 ?>

CODE FOR PAGE 2

PHP:

<?php session_start ();
 echo $_SESSION['userFirstName']; 
 echo $_SESSION['userLastName'];
echo $_SESSION['userAddress'];
echo $_SESSION['userCity']; 
 echo $_SESSION['userState']; ?>

THIS WILL WORK

Simple PHP question - $_SESSION

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