1. Cookies and Sessions in PHP
Week # 6

2. Arguments for the setcookie() Function
There are several arguments you can use i.e. setcookie(‘name’ , ‘value’ , expiration ,
‘path’ , ‘domain’ , secure);
Passing the name and value arguments to the setcookie function will suffice most cookie uses.

3. Argument Explanation
Expiration: used to set a specific length for a cookie to be functional. This line of code sets the expiration time of the cookie to one hour from the current moment:
setcookie(‘name’, ‘value’, time()+3600);
Path and domain: used to limit a cookie to a specific folder in a website (path) or to a specific domain. This line of code limits the life of the cookie so it becomes active while the user is in the user folder:
setcookie(‘name’, ‘value’, time()+3600, ‘/user/’);
Secure: dictates wheather or not the cookie should be sent over a secure HTTPS connection (value of 1 indicates that a secure connection must be used while the value of 0 means the opposite:
setcookie(‘name’, ‘value’, time()+3600, ‘/‘, ‘‘, 1);

4. Creating Cookies
Script 9.1

5. Reading from Cookies
Script 9.2

6. Deleting Cookies setcookie(‘bg-color’, ‘ ‘, time()-60, ‘/’, ‘’, 0);
Note: the expiration argument may be set to a time in the past. (optional and not required)
Another way for deleting cookies:
setcookie(‘bg-color’, ‘ ‘);

7. Sessions
Sessions are like cookies in which they provide a way for a server to track user’s data over a series of pages.
The difference between the two is that cookie information is stored on the client side while session information is stored on the server side.
When a session is started PHP generates a random session ID.
By default this session ID is sent to the web browser as a cookie.

8. Sessions and Cookies Sessions Cookies
More secure (data is not transmitted between server and client)
Easier to create and retrieve
Store more information than a cookies
Require slightly less work from the server
Sessions can work even if user does not accept cookies
Persist over a longer period of time

9. Creating a Session
PHP generates a default session name PHPSESSID and a value like: PHPSESSID=4bcc48dc87cb4b54d63f99da23fb41e1
If you want to change the default session name you can use the session_name() function.
Use the session_start() function to start the session.
Session data is stored in $_SESSION array.

10. Code Example for Creating a Session
Script 9.5

11. Accessing Session Variables
Script 9.6

12. Deleting a Session
Script 9.7