session is not started. but still displaying the error that it has already started

Question

I included login.php and loggedin.php files in index.php.

both login.php and index.php has no session_start(); and only loggedin.php has session_start(); in it.

but still I am getting the following errors when I open index.php:

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output started at /home/content/98/10855698/html/symp13/index.php:110) in /home/content/98/10855698/html/symp13/loggedin.php on line 2

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent (output started at /home/content/98/10855698/html/symp13/index.php:110) in /home/content/98/10855698/html/symp13/loggedin.php on line 2

The loggedin.php is as follows:

<?php
session_start();
if (isset($_SESSION['username'])) {
echo 'you are logged in as'.' '.$_SESSION["username"];
echo '<form action="upload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" name="upload">'.'<input type="file" name="file" /><input type="submit" name="submit" />'.'</form>'; }
else {
echo 'You need to login in with your account for submitting abstract or for applying for tutorials!';
echo 'Click here to'.' '.'<a href="login.php">login</a>';
}
?>

login.php includes a form with action set to login_check.php which includes session_start();. But I dont think that is the problem..because, it cant be run until the form is submitted.

And if I run only loggedin.php in a separate file. it is showing no errors.

I am confused. Please tell me how to solve this and also the cause.

enter image description here

Do you have any HTML or blank spaces above any of the files? You should also post your `index.php` code. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:01
_“but still displaying the error that it has already started”_ – no, not the case. Please learn to read what error messages _actually_ say. — CBroe, May 14 '13 at 13:02
@JeevanPatnaik that's most likely the problem. I had the same thing happen to me last week, and figured it out. Try putting all your HTML below your PHP. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:04
@Fred yeah, but my php echoes some html. how can I echo it in desired location if I place it at the beginning? — GP92, May 14 '13 at 13:09
@JeevanPatnaik You'll have to post your entire code in order for me or others to help you. You can use the inline method ` echo "content"; ?>` within your file if needed. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:11
it may be annoying for you..but sorry I dont know how to write html code here in stack exchange — GP92, May 14 '13 at 13:20
@JeevanPatnaik Put your `` on top of everything (above body). It won't break anything. Then just position using CSS as required for any content to show at the bottom; from what I gather. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:23
@Fred Ok thanks Fred! So it means I shouldn't put blank spaces before session_start(); right? — GP92, May 14 '13 at 13:25
@JeevanPatnaik Exactly, nor any HTML, no whitespace before ` — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:28
@JeevanPatnaik did it work, is it resolved? I should have posted an answer and I getting the points for the help I've given. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:29
@JeevanPatnaik You'll get the hang of it. You can give an `upvote` for my answer or accept mine as the resolution. — Funk Forty Niner, May 14 '13 at 13:33

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered May 14 '13 at 13:04

2

As the documentation says:

To use cookie-based sessions, session_start() must be called before outputing anything to the browser.

This means that there must be no whitespace before the call to session_start(), even whitespace. So, your index.php file must look something like this:

<?php

  include 'loggedin.php'; //containing session start
  include 'login.php';

  echo 'other output';
?>
more output here

answered May 14 '13 at 13:04

LeonardChallis

7,759
6
45
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1

Hey thanks...I read the documentation and now understood! – GP92 May 14 '13 at 13:28
That's what we all like to hear :D – LeonardChallis May 14 '13 at 13:39
why if I put session_start in index.php itself at the beginning. and removed the session_start from the included php. loggedin php executes like there is no session started at all? – GP92 May 14 '13 at 13:45
Are the first characters of index.php `` before the call to `session_start()`? – LeonardChallis May 14 '13 at 14:18

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 14 '13 at 13:31

1

Put your:

<?php ... ?>

on top of everything (above body). It won't break anything. Then just position using CSS as required.

answered May 14 '13 at 13:31

Funk Forty Niner

74,450
15
68
141

But now I have other problem – GP92 May 14 '13 at 13:39
actually if I put session_start in index.php itself at the beginning. and removed the session_start from the included php. loggedin php executes like there is no session started at all – GP92 May 14 '13 at 13:41
@JeevanPatnaik Keep all `session_start();` in all files. Why did you remove it? – Funk Forty Niner May 14 '13 at 13:50
It is showing error if I put it even in the top line – GP92 May 14 '13 at 13:58
@JeevanPatnaik You have another problem with your code then, might be in the other files that you didn't post code for. – Funk Forty Niner May 14 '13 at 14:00
I dont get one thing..do I need to start session for initiating session variables – GP92 May 14 '13 at 14:14
@JeevanPatnaik Yes. It preserves them. If one is left out, and variables are passed to another, they will be lost. – Funk Forty Niner May 14 '13 at 14:27
@JeevanPatnaik You may need to define `$_SESSION["username"] = $_POST["username"];` under `session_start();` – Funk Forty Niner May 14 '13 at 14:31

session is not started. but still displaying the error that it has already started

2 Answers2