$_SESSION values changed... but I didn't change them!

[somecrazyguy]

Take the following code, one would think that there was absolutely no link between $test and $_SESSION["test"]. But if you reload the page, guess what... "After=FAIL ED". Why? Because for some reason, writing to $test affects the $_SESSION variable $_SESSION["test"].

session_start();
ini_set("session.gc_maxlifetime","3600");
if ($_REQUEST["it"] == "1") session_unset();
 
var_dump($_SESSION);
if (!$_SESSION["test"]) $_SESSION["test"] = "Test";
echo "Before=".$_SESSION["test"]."<br>";
$test = "FAILED";
echo "After=".$_SESSION["test"]."<br>";
var_dump($_SESSION);
 
 
After doing a var_dump($_SESSION), on the first go round I got:
array(1) {
  ["test"]=>
  string(4) "Test"
}
 
On the second go round I got:
array(1) {
  ["test"]=>
  &string(4) "Test"
}
 

[Please use CODE tags when posting source code. Thanks! --pbmods]

Apparently as soon as it starts storing by reference (with the "&") after reloading the page, that's when the troubles begin. That's as far as I can get in putting forth the problem. I have no idea how to fix it though. Either the "&string" needs to be disabled somehow in the session, or something needs to be disconnected so that writing to $test won't overwrite the value in $_SESSION["test"].

Any help on this one would be greatly appreciated. I've looked all over and no luck.

[mwasif]

What version of PHP you are using? I hope you are working with register_global s enabled.

[pbmods]

Changed thread title to better describe the problem (did you know that threads whose titles contain phrases such as 'need help' actually get FEWER responses?).

I hope you are working with register_global s enabled.

You mean that you hope that register_global s is enabled because that would explain the problem, right? 'Cause I can't think of any reason why anybody would actually WANT register_global s enabled (it's actually going away in PHP 6)!