edward hage wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Leslie Hoare wrote:[color=green]
> > "edward hage" <edha@xs4all.nl> wrote in message
> > news:3fd31c70$0$201$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> >[color=darkred]
> >>Hello, I am using PHP 4.3.1 with register_globals off.
> >>
> >>I want to pass information from one page to another and want to start a
> >>session for this using: session_start() at the beginning of my page
> >>searchresult.php
> >>
> >>However, I get the following error:
> >>
> >>Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session
> >>cookie - headers already sent by (output started at
> >>/srv/www/htdocs/searchresult.php:7) in /srv/www/htdocs/searchresult.php
> >>on line 8
> >>
> >>Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session
> >>cache limiter - headers already sent (output started at
> >>/srv/www/htdocs/searchresult.php:7) in /srv/www/htdocs/searchresult.php
> >>on line 8
> >>
> >>A session_ID is created but any $_SESSION['variable'] I define is not
> >>recognised. What am I doing wrong??
> >>
> >>Thanks in advance,
> >>Edward
> >>[/color]
> >
> >
> > you have to call ob_start() before any other output, including spaces. so
> > put it right at the top of the page, and it should work ok.
> >
> >
> > Leslie
> >
> >[/color]
> I tried ob_start(); before session_start(); but that did not help.
>
> I also don't see why the connection between buffering output and a
> session. Could anyone explain more about that?[/color]
session_start() sends a cookie to the user's browser. Cookies must be sent in
the header. You cannot send headers once you start to send content, even a
single space or linebreak. The solution, then, is to put session_start() at the
top of your file, if possible.
This works:
-------------- START OF FILE ------------------
<?PHP
session_start();
?>
-------------- END OF FILE ------------------
This doesn't work because it outputs a blank line before the cookie is sent:
-------------- START OF FILE ------------------
<?PHP
session_start();
?>
-------------- END OF FILE ------------------
You don't need ob_start() to use sessions. It can be helpful, though, if you
need to output text before you call session_start(). It sticks the text in a
buffer, effectively delaying sending it until after session_start() sends the
cookie.
This works because it delays sending outputted text until after the cookie is
sent:
-------------- START OF FILE ------------------
<?PHP
ob_start();
?>
Hello World.
<?PHP
session_start();
ob_flush();
?>
-------------- END OF FILE ------------------
Regards,
Shawn
--
Shawn Wilson
shawn@glassgiant.com http://www.glassgiant.com 
