Trouble with PHP Login Script

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 09:31 AM

I tried useing the PHP login script that was posted here,

http://php.codenewbie.com/articles/p...ns-Page_1.html

and the test pages worked just fine. Now I'm trying to implement them into some php pages that I coded myself, and it logs the user out after 2 pages. I'm wondering if it is just looseing the session info. The pages that I am useing are not useing <a href=> links, but are submiting forms. In each of the pages I have the proper include statments, but once I log in, and get to the main page, then submit the form that takes me a different page, that page works, but then I click on a link that is supposed to take me back to my main page, and it says I'm not logged in and need to log in again. It's starting to get frustrating. Any help would be very apreciated.

Thanx in advance. -Jim

sde · 03-19-2005, 10:08 AM

hi jim, welcome to the site

have you modified auth.php at all? all the session logic which would cause the page not to load is in there.

if you have modified it, could you post the code? also, make sure there is nothing, not even white space printed to the screen by the time you include auth.php. session functions are header info and will fail if anything at all is printed to the screen before those scripts are called.

i'm not sure how closely the pages you are implementing this on follow the tutorial, so it is very hard to give you a good answer without seeing some code.

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 10:21 AM

Cool. Thanx for the quick reply and the welcome. I have not changed the auth.php file. The only difference that I have made is on the include statements I have removed th inc/ directory, so all of my files are in the same dir. As for some code, lemme post the basic index.php page. All it is is a bunch of forms that submit to other php pages with the get type. This way the $_GET info can be passed to the other pages. I have tried adding a <a href link to the page that goes to another <a href link, and the session seems to be ok. I'm wondering if the form might not be posting correctly.

PHP Code:


		
			
<?php



// connect to database

include("connect.php");



// include auth and nav

include("auth.php");



echo "



<html>

<head>

<title>Input</title>

</head>

<body>

<center>

<font face=Arial size=5>

<b>Attendance</b><br><br>

<form action='attendance.php' type='get'><font face=Arial size=2>

Select Month:&nbsp&nbsp





<select name='month'>

<option value=''>Month...</option>

<option value='January'>January</option>

<option value='February'>February</option>

<option value='March'>March</option>

<option value='April'>April</option>

<option value='May'>May</option>

<option value='June'>June</option>

<option value='July'>July</option>

<option value='August'>August</option>

<option value='September'>September</option>

<option value='October'>October</option>

<option value='November'>November</option>

<option value='December'>December</option>

</select><br><br>

<input type=submit value=Submit></font>

</form>

<hr />

<b>Reports</b><br><br>

    <form action='report.php' target=_blank type=get>

    <font face=Arial size=2>

    Generate Report for the Month of:&nbsp&nbsp

    <select name='month'>

    <option value=''>Month...</option>

    <option value='January'>January</option>

    <option value='February'>February</option>

    <option value='March'>March</option>

    <option value='April'>April</option>

    <option value='May'>May</option>

    <option value='June'>June</option>

    <option value='July'>July</option>

    <option value='August'>August</option>

    <option value='September'>September</option>

    <option value='October'>October</option>

    <option value='November'>November</option>

    <option value='December'>December</option>

    </select><br><br>

    <input type=hidden name='act' value='reportgo'>

    <input type=submit value='Submit'></font>

    </form>

    <hr />



</body>

</html>

";

?>

Thanx again for the help.

Really appreciated.

sde · 03-19-2005, 10:27 AM

try changing your form tag to this:

HTML Code:

<form method='GET' action='attendance.php'>

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 10:36 AM

Cool. Just tried that, and got the same result. Let me post the attendance.php file. This file basically shows info from a db that can be changed to show whether that person was in atendance or not. It also has a link that goes back to the index.php page at the top of the page to help with site navigation. All I'm doing is logging in, choosing a month, it goes to the attendance page, I view the data, then click on the link that goes back to the index.php page. after I click that link, it says to log in again.

Also, I'm still very new to programming in PHP. So this may seem to be not programmed right.

PHP Code:


		
			
<?php



// connect to database

include("connect.php");



// include auth and nav

include("auth.php");





$username="***";

$password="***";

$database="***";



$month=$_GET['month'];



if ($month == '')

{

    echo "<html><title>Error</title>

    <font face=Arial size=2>>&nbsp&nbsp<a href='/church/index.php'>Home</a></font><br>

    You must choose a month. Please click home and choose again.</html>";

    return EOF;

}





mysql_connect('localhost', $username, $password) or die ('I cannot connect to the database because: ' . mysql_error());

mysql_select_db($database) or die( "Unable to select database");

$query="SELECT Name, $month, ID FROM attendance ORDER BY 'Name'";

$result=mysql_query($query);



$num=mysql_numrows($result);





echo "<html><head><title>Attendance Results</title></head>

<font face=Arial size=2>>&nbsp&nbsp<a href='/church/index.php'>Home</a></font><br>

<center><b><font face=Arial size=5>Attendance for $month</font></b><br><br>

<table border='1' cellspacing='2' cellpadding='2'>

<thead><tr><th><font face=Arial size=3><u>Name</u></font></th><th>

<font face=Arial size=3><u>Attended</u></font></th>

<th><font face=Arial size=3><u>Name</u></font></th><th>

<font face=Arial size=3><u>Attended</u></font></th>

<th><font face=Arial size=3><u>Name</u></font></th><th>

<font face=Arial size=3><u>Attended</u></font></th></thead>";



mysql_close();



$i=0;

while ($i < $num) {



    $name=mysql_result($result,$i,"Name");

    $monthht=mysql_result($result,$i,$month);

    $id=mysql_result($result,$i,"ID");



    $checked1="";

    $checked0="";



    if($monthht==0)

        {

        $checked0="checked";

        }

    else

        {

        $checked1="checked";

        }

        if ($i == 3 OR $i == 6 OR $i == 9 OR $i == 12 OR $i == 15 OR $i == 18 OR $i == 21 OR $i == 24 OR $i == 27 OR $i == 30 OR $i == 33 OR $i == 36 OR $i == 39 OR $i == 42 OR $i == 45 OR $i == 48 OR $i == 51 OR $i == 54 OR $i == 57 OR $i == 60 OR $i == 63 OR $i == 66 OR $i == 69 OR $i == 72 OR $i == 75 OR $i == 78 OR $i == 81 OR $i == 84 OR $i == 87 OR $i == 90 OR $i == 93 OR $i == 96 OR $i == 99)

        {

            echo "<tr>";

        }

    echo "<td width=100 align=center><font face=Arial size=2>$name</td></font><td width=100 align=center>

    <form action='update.php?PHPSESSID=.session_id()' type=get>

    <input type=hidden name='month' value=$month>

    <input type=hidden name='id' value=$id>

    <input type=hidden name='act' value='updateatt'>

    <input type=radio name='results' onClick='this.form.submit()' value=1 $checked1><font face=Arial size=2>Yes&nbsp&nbsp</font>

    <input type=radio name='results' onClick='this.form.submit()' value=0 $checked0><font face=Arial size=2>No&nbsp&nbsp</font>

    </td></form>";



    $i++;

}

echo "</table></center></html>"



?>

sde · 03-19-2005, 10:48 AM

is error reporting turned on? i mean, when you make errors, does it display the Warning message? it doesn't make sense to me if you are using the same auth.php script.

also, just some other tips, in PHP, you should use the operator || instead of the word OR. i guess if OR works, then it's fine, it's just more common to see the pipes. i.e.

PHP Code:


		
			
<?

if($i==1 || $i==2){

  // do this

}



// also, the and operator is &&

if($i==1 && $b==2){

  // do this

}

now, another way to complete the logic in your huge if statement, might be this:

PHP Code:


		
			
<?

// create your array of possibilities

$my_array = array(3,6,9,12,15,18,21,

                  24,27,30,33,36,39,

                  42,45,48,51,54,57,

                  60,63,66,69,72,75,

                  78,81,84,87,90,93,

                  96,99);



if(in_array($i,$my_array)){

  // do something

}

?>

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 10:56 AM

Quote:

is error reporting turned on? i mean, when you make errors, does it display the Warning message? it doesn't make sense to me if you are using the same auth.php script.

Not quite sure what you mean by error reporting. And by make errors do you mean errors in the code? or input errors on the form? And how can I turn on the error reporting?

If you want to visit the site, I'll send you the link, I would just rather not post it because I don't want everyone to see the info. Hence trying to make the login required. Do you have an email address?

Also, for the tips, MUCH THANX. All I really have to go off of with programming PHP right now is what I can find on the net. I really need to buy a book and get some of the basics down. LOL

sde · 03-19-2005, 12:08 PM

ok, quick question. on attendance.php, i see you are connecting to the database, even though you have already included connect.php.

i think defining $username and connecting to the database might be causing a problem. if this is the same database as you are connecting to in connect.php, then there is no need to use the mysql_connect functions again.

can you take this out and try again? i went to your site and attendance.php seems to be the only script that is causing the logout.

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 12:13 PM

Ok, so you want me to remove just the connection? Lemme try that.

I commented out

Code:

mysql_connect('localhost', $username, $password) or die ('I cannot connect to the database because: ' . mysql_error()); 
mysql_select_db($database) or die( "Unable to select database");

And I still get the same thing.

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 12:14 PM

Ok, wait. I had changed it to $_POST values, but now I just changed it back to $_GET and it seems to be working. That's wierd. Why would it work with GET and not POST?

idx · 03-19-2005, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimAdkins

Ok, wait. I had changed it to $_POST values, but now I just changed it back to $_GET and it seems to be working. That's wierd. Why would it work with GET and not POST?

Depends on what form method you use. $_GET will be populated during a standard page request ({a href}) or a form that uses a GET method. $_POST is only for forms that use a post method.

I typically only use method="GET" for forms that are requesting data and use POST for submitting data.

You can also use $_REQUEST, but be aware that any cookies will also be contained in the array.

-r

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 12:31 PM

idx, thanx for the info. It makes more sense now.

Do the include statments have to be in each function? Or just at the begining of the file?

The one function file is working good, but I have a file that has a few functions in it and it's not working right.

Edit: Wow, I should really try things before I post. If I put the include statments inside the function, it works like a charm!

Another quick question, what about a mysql_close() statment? Shouldn't the DB be closed?

Thanx again for all of your help!

idx · 03-19-2005, 02:11 PM

Good to hear. include or require (include_once is also a good idea) can be anywhere. If you have a number of files to include then it might be worth doing it all in one file, so you only have to include 1 file in each of your pages.

You can use mysql_close(), but it's not really necessary for non-persistent connection. (they'll close automatically when the script ends)

-r

JimAdkins · 03-19-2005, 02:17 PM

Last question.

What's the difference between require and include?

BTW, thanx sde first for making the script, and then for helping me as much as you have. Thanx idx for all of your help in answering my questions.

sde · 03-19-2005, 02:40 PM

not saying RTFM, .. but i really want to point out how great the php documentation is. i wasn't sure the answer to this myself, besides that they are very much alike, so i went to the php.net website and typed in require in the function search. php.net function search is a priceless resource for your php development.

http://us4.php.net/manual/en/function.require.php

Quote:

require() and include() are identical in every way except how they handle failure. include() produces a Warning while require() results in a Fatal Error. In other words, don't hesitate to use require() if you want a missing file to halt processing of the page. include() does not behave this way, the script will continue regardless. Be sure to have an appropriate include_path setting as well.