Question

After going back to one of ‘PHP Login System’ test projects, I now need to create a wait so that I can set a cookie so that the user is remembered when they re-visit the website, this can either be a cookie that is set with or without a remember me option, whichever is best.

Here is the php coding that authenicates a user after they’ve entered their login information.

<?php
session_start();    // Create the session
if (empty($_REQUEST['username']) || empty($_REQUEST['password'])) { header("Location: /login.php?username=" . $_REQUEST['username'] . "&message=0"); exit; 
} else { 

$username = $_POST['username']; // Gets the username
$password = $_POST['password']; // Gets the password.
$salt = "n4tOqSYcZI5Y463oG34T7YR8Q72hVU"; // random string

// Add some salt
$salt .= $password; 
$password = $salt; // new salted pass.

// Encrypt the password.
$password = md5($password);

include('settings.php');
include('dbconnect.php');

$query = "SELECT * FROM xxx WHERE username = '$username' LIMIT 1"; 
$username = mysql_real_escape_string($username); // just to be sure.
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
$resusername = $row['username']; 
$respassword = $row['password'];
$resemail = $row['email'];
}

// valid user?

if ($respassword == $password) {

// Yes they are.
$_SESSION['loggedin'] = "1";
$_SESSION['email'] = $resemail;
$_SESSION['username'] = $resusername;

$SQL = "UPDATE xxx SET usr_lastlogin='" . date("Y-m-d H:i:s") . "',lastlogin_ip='" . addslashes($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']) . "' WHERE username = '$_SESSION[username]'";
$result = @mysql_query($SQL) or die("Error Process 2");

header('Location: /index.php');

} else {

// No
$_SESSION['loggedin'] = "0";
header("Location: /login.php?username=" . $_REQUEST['username'] . "&message=3"); 
exit; } 
}
?>

Where would I need to start, with getting that code to also create the cookie information that is stored on a users computer, either with or without a remember me option, which ever is best.

Thanks for any help and assistance in advanced.

Answer 1

Simply use setcookie() and read it out of $_COOKIE later. Have a look at setcookie() and as far as using $_COOKIE goes it’s pretty much the same as session:

function isLoggedIn(){
    if($_COOKIE['loggedin'] == true or $_SESSION['loggedin'] == true){
       return true;
    }
    return false;
}