Example 144: Using cookies (PHP)

Description: This example demonstrates how to set, retrieve and destroy a cookie using WebSmart PHP

Cookies are text files that a Web server can store on a user's hard disk. Cookies allow a Web site to store information (sites visited or credentials for accessing the site) on a user's machine and later retrieve it. The pieces of information are stored as name-value pairs. Cookies are designed to be readable only by the Web site that created them.

Enter a value for the cookie

Start with a new Simple page template from the PHP templates

Create some global variables at the top of the PHP source code

global $cookie1, $cookie_msg;

Replace:

    // Retrieve the task (default to "default")
if ($pf_task == 'default')
	generic();

with the following:

// run the specified task
switch($pf_task)
{
	case 'default':
	generic();
	break;
	
	case 'cookie_value':
	cookie_value();
	break;
	
	case 'retrieve':
	retrieve();
	break;    
	
	case 'clear':
	clear();
	break;
}

Copy the cookie_value function and paste it below the generic function

function cookie_value()
{
	// Make all global variables available here
	foreach($GLOBALS as $arraykey=>$arrayvalue) 
	{
		if($arraykey[0]!='_' && $arraykey != 'GLOBALS')
			global $$arraykey;
	}
	//get value from the form
	$cookie1 = $_POST["cookie1"];
	//set the cookie to value from the form. This cookie will expire in one hour.
	setcookie("cookie1",$cookie1, time()+3600);
	//write the MainSeg segment
	wrtseg('MainSeg');
}

Copy the retrieve function and paste it below the generic function.

function retrieve()
{
	// Make all global variables available here
	foreach($GLOBALS as $arraykey=>$arrayvalue) 
	{
		if($arraykey[0]!='_' && $arraykey != 'GLOBALS')
			global $$arraykey;
	}
	//if we have a cookie set with a value display a message
	
	
	if(isset($_COOKIE['cookie1']))
	{ 
	
			$msg = "You set\"<strong>";
			$msg2 = "</strong>\" as the cookie contents";
			$cookie_msg = $msg . $_COOKIE["cookie1"] . $msg2;
	
	}
	else
	{
		$msg = "";
		$msg2 = "";
		$cookie_msg = "<strong><span style=\"color:red;\">
		               Please set the cookie with a value</span></strong>";
	}
	
	wrtseg('MainSeg');
	
}

function clear()
{
	// Make all global variables available here
	foreach($GLOBALS as $arraykey=>$arrayvalue) 
	{
		if($arraykey[0]!='_' && $arraykey != 'GLOBALS')
			global $$arraykey;
	}
       //this will set the cookie to a time in the past and it will be destroyed
	setcookie("cookie1","",time() - 3600);
	
	wrtseg('MainSeg');
	
}

In the HTML MainSeg segment create a table and form to set and retrieve the cookie value

<table>
   <tr>
     <td><strong>Enter a value for the cookie</strong></td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
    <td>
      <form action="cookies.php" method="POST">
      <input type="hidden" name="task" value="cookie_value">
      <input type="text" size="30" name="cookie1" value="$cookie1">
      <input type="submit" value="Set Cookie">
      </form>
    </td>
   </tr>
</table>
   <br>
<table>
   <tr>
      <td><strong>Retrieve the value of the cookie</strong</td>
      <td><a href="$pf_scriptname?task=retrieve">Click here</a></td>
      <td>$cookie_msg</td>
      </tr>
    <tr><td colspan="3"><td> </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Clear the value of the cookie</strong></td>
      <td><a href="$pf_scriptname?task=clear">Click here</a></td>
      <td></td>
    </tr>
</table>

Compile and run your program

Program Definition: cookies.phw

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