$_SESSION issue

I put together a code that checks for 2 post variables then stores them
in a multi-dim $_SESSION array, something like this:

If ( isset($_POST['value_a'] && isset($_POST['value_b']) )
{
$_SESSION['value']['a'] = $_POST['value_a'];
$_SESSION['value']['b'] = $_POST['value_b'];
}

The problem was that $_SESSION['value']['b'] was being overwritten with
the value for 'a' so that both $_SESSION['value'] vars ended up being
the same (i.e. $_POST['value_b']. I thoroughly tested it to confirm
that this was what happening.

I solved the problem by changing the $_SESSION vars to
$_SESSION['value_a'] and $_SESSION['value_b'].

This was PHP 5, the WAMP package -- I know it's not the latest update
of PHP 5.

My question: is this a bug (perhaps since fixed) or is there a reason
this would be expected behavior?

Thanks,

Tom
http://phosphorusandlime.blogspot.com/

Tom wrote:[color=blue]
> I put together a code that checks for 2 post variables then stores them
> in a multi-dim $_SESSION array, something like this:
>
> If ( isset($_POST['value_a'] && isset($_POST['value_b']) )
> {
> $_SESSION['value']['a'] = $_POST['value_a'];
> $_SESSION['value']['b'] = $_POST['value_b'];
> }
>
> The problem was that $_SESSION['value']['b'] was being overwritten with
> the value for 'a' so that both $_SESSION['value'] vars ended up being
> the same (i.e. $_POST['value_b']. I thoroughly tested it to confirm
> that this was what happening.
>
> I solved the problem by changing the $_SESSION vars to
> $_SESSION['value_a'] and $_SESSION['value_b'].
>
> This was PHP 5, the WAMP package -- I know it's not the latest update
> of PHP 5.
>
> My question: is this a bug (perhaps since fixed) or is there a reason
> this would be expected behavior?[/color]

The only way that I forsee this being expected behavior is if
$_POST['value_a'] == $_POST['value_b']

Usually when I am assigning an array to a session key, I will use:

$_SESSION['key'] = array('a'=>$a, 'b'=>$b);

I have never had any problems using either method, and tested that on my
two 5.1.1 installs which worked fine.

--
Justin Koivisto, ZCE - justin@koivi.com
http://koivi.com

Following on from Tom's message. . .[color=blue]
>I put together a code that checks for 2 post variables then stores them
>in a multi-dim $_SESSION array, something like this:
>
>If ( isset($_POST['value_a'] && isset($_POST['value_b']) )
>{
> $_SESSION['value']['a'] = $_POST['value_a'];
> $_SESSION['value']['b'] = $_POST['value_b'];
>}
>
>The problem was that $_SESSION['value']['b'] was being overwritten with
>the value for 'a' so that both $_SESSION['value'] vars ended up being
>the same (i.e. $_POST['value_b']. I thoroughly tested it to confirm
>that this was what happening.[/color]

The following code works 'as advertised':
<?php
$SES['value']['a'] = 'va';
$SES['value']['b'] = 'vb';
print_r($SES);
?>
to give
Array ( [value] => Array ( [a] => va [b] => vb ) )

It works with $_SESSION too.

Are you operating in a foreach loop? If so this is a Gotcha.

Although not particularly related to this problem but in a similar vein:
Look up "variable variables" in the manual.

// convert $ay['foo'] into $foo
foreach($ay as $key => $val) {$$key = $ay[$key];}






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