Losing session data on browser close

[bgold12]

When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:

....
session_start();
....
$_SESSION['key'] = 'value';
....

From what I understand, this should store the session data (i.e. the
key-value pairs) in a cookie on the user's computer, and it should be
valid until either I destroy the cookie or the user clears their
cookie data. This means that the user should be able to see that data
whenever they log back on the site, right?

And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

Thanks,

bgold12

[Holger Jeromin]

bgold12 schrieb am 16.08.2008 11:20:

When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:
...
session_start();
...
$_SESSION['key'] = 'value';
...
From what I understand, this should store the session data (i.e. the
key-value pairs) in a cookie on the user's computer, and it should be
valid until either I destroy the cookie or the user clears their
cookie data. This means that the user should be able to see that data
whenever they log back on the site, right?

Till the Cookie is expired, yes.

And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

http://de.php.net/manual/en/function.setcookie.php

Expiration: "If set to 0, or omitted, the cookie will expire at the end
of the session (when the browser closes)."

--
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Holger Jeromin

[Steven Saunderson]

On Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:20:47 -0700 (PDT), bgold12 <bg*****@gmail.com>
wrote:

When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:

And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

It depends on the browser configuration. I have Opera and Firefox set
to delete all cookies on exit. So it will work for most users but not
all.
--
Steven

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed bgold12 <bg*****@gmail.com>
writing in news:7f387b18-0f1e-46e7-807d-9fd3ea1da602@
8g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:

...
session_start();
...
$_SESSION['key'] = 'value';
...

From what I understand, this should store the session data (i.e. the
key-value pairs) in a cookie on the user's computer, and it should be
valid until either I destroy the cookie or the user clears their
cookie data. This means that the user should be able to see that data
whenever they log back on the site, right?

And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

Thanks,

bgold12

Sessions are for the _session_ - unlike a cookie which can be stored on
a user's computer and can be used at a later time (if the user accepts
cookies, and does not delete them on exit).

You can read the values in a cookie and put them into session variables.
For example, place a user name as a cookie, then read that value next
time the user comes in, request a password and store the password as a
session variable. When the user closes the browser, the cookie will
persist, but the password, which was held in a session variable, will be
destroyed.
--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

[Jonathan N. Little]

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed bgold12 <bg*****@gmail.com>
writing in news:7f387b18-0f1e-46e7-807d-9fd3ea1da602@
8g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

>When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:

...
session_start();
...
$_SESSION['key'] = 'value';
...

From what I understand, this should store the session data (i.e. the
key-value pairs) in a cookie on the user's computer, and it should be
valid until either I destroy the cookie or the user clears their
cookie data. This means that the user should be able to see that data
whenever they log back on the site, right?

And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

Thanks,

bgold12

Sessions are for the _session_ - unlike a cookie which can be stored on
a user's computer and can be used at a later time (if the user accepts
cookies, and does not delete them on exit).

True, but the session id is stored in the browser cookie. (unless
session.use_only_cookies is disabled and user browser has cookies
disabled then it put in the URL -- not recommended)

The cookie may be persistent with a expiration date which will be
written to the users hard drive upon browser exit. Or a session cookie
in browser memory which is lost upon browser exit. In either case if the
cookie is removed then the the id is lost and the session on the server
will be orphaned. General house keeping will remove the file after a time.
--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

[Michael Fesser]

..oO(bgold12)

>When a user logs onto my site, I set some session data using php:

...
session_start();
...
$_SESSION['key'] = 'value';
...

From what I understand, this should store the session data (i.e. the
key-value pairs) in a cookie on the user's computer

Only the session ID is stored in the cookie. The actual data is kept on
the server and should never leave it.

>and it should be
valid until either I destroy the cookie or the user clears their
cookie data. This means that the user should be able to see that data
whenever they log back on the site, right?

No.

>And it works when the user leaves the site, and then comes back to it,
as long as they keep their browser open. But when the user closes
their browser, then I seem to lose that data (the cookie seems to
disappear). Why is this? Cookies aren't deleted when the browser is
closed, right?

By default session cookies are deleted when the browser is closed,
because that's when the session ends.

Micha