can not retrive session after reopening browser

Question

I write 2 php files that show up user's info in the database when they type a correct user and display it again if they reopen browser. However when i reopen browser i receive this error msg :

Notice: Undefined index: full_name in C:\xampp\htdocs\test\session-database-2.php on line 3
wrong user please type again
Notice: A session had already been started - ignoring session_start() in C:\xampp\htdocs\test\session-database-1.php on line 1

1st is session-database-1.php

<?php session_start() ?>
<?php
echo "login Form";
echo "<form action='session-database-2.php' method='POST'>
        name <input type='text' name='full_name' />
            <input type='submit' value='submit'/>
        </form>";
?>

2nd is

<?php session_start() ?>
<?php
$_SESSION['full_name']=$_POST['full_name'];
$host='localhost';
$username='root';
$password='root';
$dbname='pet';
$connect=mysqli_connect($host,$username,$password,$dbname) or die("can't connect to server");
$query="SELECT * FROM register WHERE full_name='{$_SESSION['full_name']}'";
$result=mysqli_query($connect,$query) or die("can't execute query");
if(mysqli_affected_rows($connect))
{
    while($row=mysqli_fetch_assoc($result))
    {
        extract($row);
        echo $full_name."<br/>";
        echo $email."<br/>";
        echo $phone."<br/>";

    }
}
else
{

    echo "wrong user please type again";
    include "session-database-1.php";
    exit();
}

?>

You realize sessions get destroyed after the browser closes... right? — Pat, Dec 06 '13 at 15:35

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 06 '13 at 15:39

There are a few more errors I think.

You can delete the 1. line in session-database-1.php because $_SESSION isn't used there
Undefined index: full_name is because you haven't a $_POST when you directly call this url
If you call your second file directly and the SELECT doesn't return any results then you include your first file. This way session_start is called twice.

You could solve it in one file:

if(isset($_POST['full_name']))
  // Then show your login form
else
  // make your database select and show the results

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:21

0

If you want to have the data persist, even when a browser is closed, you're not going to be able to use a session. As Pat mentioned in their comment, a session is destroyed once a browser is closed down. This SO thread might help you understand the difference between the two

Cookie VS Session

edited May 23 '17 at 12:21

Community

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1

answered Dec 06 '13 at 15:37

Drazion

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With `ini_set('session.cookie_lifetime', 60 * 60 * 24 * 7);` you can set your session lifetime to 7 days. If you close your browser and reopen it again, your session will still be there. – PKeidel Dec 06 '13 at 15:41
I don't think this is relevant to his error. He's assigning to the session, not reading from it. – Barmar Dec 06 '13 at 15:41
ah ya you're right ... was a bit too hasty I suppose. But for the session_lifetime I had assumed he had it left at default, which kills the session on exit. – Drazion Dec 06 '13 at 15:43
It was just for the records becouse Drazion wrote `a session is destroyed once a browser is closed`. – PKeidel Dec 06 '13 at 15:43
Yes @Drazion, thats right. The default value is `0` which means `until the browser is closed` – PKeidel Dec 06 '13 at 15:44

can not retrive session after reopening browser

2 Answers2