$_SESSION not storing the values

Question

When I print the print_r($SESSION) function it shows up empty. Here is the code below (ps. dont worry about SQL injection at the moment).

Everything else works PERFECTLY, errors show up perfectly. Its just the session values come up empty!

<?php
session_start();
include 'dbconnect.php';
$emailerror = $passworderror = "";

if(isset($_POST['submit']))
{


    $email= $_POST["email"];
    $password= $_POST["password"];

    if (empty($email)) {
        $emailerror = "*Email must be entered";
    }

    elseif (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL))
    {   
        $emailerror= "*Invalid email address Entered";    
    }

    // To check if email has already been used or if another account with the same email exists
    else{         
        $emailquery = ("SELECT * FROM `Potential_Employee` WHERE `Email` = '$email'");
        $emailcheckresult = mysqli_query($connection, $emailquery);


        if(mysqli_num_rows($emailcheckresult) == 1){            
            $row=mysqli_fetch_assoc($emailcheckresult);

            if (!password_verify($password, $row['Password'])){
                $passworderror = "*Password is incorrect!";
            }
            else{
                $_SESSION['Email'] = $email;
                $_SESSION['logged_in'] = true;
                echo "<script>document.location='EmployeeDashboard.php';</script>";

            }

        }
        else{
            $emailerror = "*Email does not exist";
        }

    }

    if (empty($password)) {
        $passworderror = "*Password must be entered";
    }

    elseif (strlen($password) < 4 )
    {
        $passworderror= "*Password Has to be greater than 8 Characters";
    }

A little tip, I wont mention the SQLi.. If you store your errors eg. `$emailerror, $passworderror` in an array like `$errors['email'], $errors['password']` you can simply check if its empty, else there has been an error of sorts. It will make it much cleaner with nicer grouping, easier to pass to views etc, and once you move onto a form with 20+ input you wont need to remember all them global vars, just debug that one var. Happy coding.. — Lawrence Cherone, Dec 02 '17 at 02:25

Amit Gupta · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-02T02:15:12.400

-1

You need to debug SESSION like below:

print_r($_SESSION);

Or

echo '<pre>' . print_r($_SESSION, TRUE) . '</pre>';
// Make second argument TRUE so it will return instead of echo

Or

echo '<pre>';
var_dump($_SESSION);
echo '</pre>';

edited Dec 02 '17 at 02:15

answered Dec 02 '17 at 02:05

Amit Gupta

2,771
2
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31

if I may ask, what do you mean by debug? Sorry I'm new to these terms. Also Ive tried your first function to see what's in the session and it comes up as Array - > () or something. The array is empty – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:09
means printing all sessions to check whether they are coming or not. You are printing in a wrong way print_r($SESSION) – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:10
Its empty because its not there at all as your if conditions never met – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:12
I think the condition has been met because if you see that in the same place I put my $_SESSION functions, it redirects to another page. It still redirects, but the $session values are still empty – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:15
Make sure that you are reaching in else condition to set the sessions – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:15
Make sure to add session_start at top of EmployeeDashboard.php as well – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:16
I think there is something stopping or interfering with my Session values being saved as the conditions have been met because everything I put in the same area for example echo "this condition has been met"; then it will echo that out. So the problem does not lie there – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:17
After $_SESSION['Email'] = $email; try echo $_SESSION['Email']; die; – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:18
i have added session_start at the top. Even if I delete my redirect function to stay on the same page. Its still not there. – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:19
ok I will try that – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:19
Yes first need to make sure that your sessions are working properly. Let me know that. – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:21
it comes out as Array() and the email I entered, what does this mean – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:21
Remove print_r($_SESSION) and add only echo $_SESSION['Email']; die; – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:23
I think your sessions are working if your email gets displayed with it – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:23
In EmployeeDashboard.php, after session_start(); write echo $_SESSION['Email']; die; – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:24
Only the Email I entered which is test@gmail.com comes up – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:24
Yeh fine your sessions are working now. – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:24
Now remove this and add in EmployeeDashboard.php, after session_start(); write echo $_SESSION['Email']; die; – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:25
It will surely work if you print it correctly after session_start and then put die to test it. – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:26
Hope it works. Please don't forget to accept my answer. Happy coding :) – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:28
When it redirects to EmployeeDashboard.php the page is empty. and All i put in there was session_start(); echo $_SESSION['Email']; die; – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:31
Replace echo ""; with echo ""; – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:32
Thank you for your help anyway, you've given me a way to test my sessions. – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:33
You are welcome Tom! – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:34
yep still goes to an empty page. I might rewrite some of the code and see maybe if the error lies there somewhere – AdrianC Dec 02 '17 at 02:35
Yes your sessions are working fine but its something in your code that giving issue. – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:37
Try it yourself otherwise let me know I will do it for you. – Amit Gupta Dec 02 '17 at 02:37

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 02 '17 at 02:48

-1

Looks like it's just a typo.

use:

$_SESSION

not

$SESSION

so this should work:

print_r($_SESSION)

https://www.w3schools.com/php/php_sessions.asp

answered Dec 02 '17 at 02:48

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$_SESSION not storing the values

2 Answers2