PHP Cookie
PHP cookie is a small piece of information or file that is stored
in user’s browser. It is often used to identify the user. The cookie is created at server side and saved to user’s browser. Each time when the user sends the request to the server then the cookie is embedded with a request. The cookie can be received at the server side. With the help of PHP, you can both create, sent and retrieve the cookie values.
PHP setcookie() function
In PHP, you can set cookies by using the setcookie() function or setrawcookie() function. PHP setcookie() function defines to set a cookie and cookies are part of the with HTTP headers, so setcookie() function must be called before any output is sent to the browser. Once the cookie is set, then you can access it by $_COOKIE superglobal variable. And the Cookie values can also exist in $_REQUEST. The setcookie() function requires up to six arguments and should be appear before the <html> tag. For each cookie, setcookie() function has to be called separately.
And it’s a setcookie (name, value, expire, path, domain, security);
Syntax:-
bool setcookie ( string $name [, string $value [, int $expire = 0 [, string $path [, string $domain [, bool $secure = false [, bool $httponly = false ]]]]]] )
Example:-
- setcookie(“CookieName”, “CookieValue”, time()+1*60*60, “/mypath/”, “mydomain.com”, 1);
- setcookie(“CookieName”, “CookieValue”, time()+1*60*60); //using expiry in 1 hour(1*60*60 seconds or 3600 seconds)
- setcookie(“CookieName”, “CookieValue”); /* defining name and value of cookie only*/
PHP $_COOKIE
The PHP $_COOKIE superglobal variable is used to get cookie.
Example:-
- $value = $_COOKIE[“CookieName”]; //returns the cookie value
PHP Cookie Example
File: cookie.php
First Output:-
Sorry, cookie is not found!
Firstly, the cookie is not set. But, when if you refresh the page,then you will see cookie is set now.
Second Output after refresh browser:-
PHP Delete Cookie
If you want to set the expiration date in past, then the cookie will be deleted.
The following way you can follow for delete a cookie:-
Output:-
PHP Session
For storing and passing the temporary information from 
one page to an another PHP Session is used. For example shopping websites where we want to store and pass the cart information from one page to another like username, product name, product price, product code. PHP session creates a file in the temporary directory on a server where it is registered session variables and stores their values. And the data will be available on all the pages during the visiting on site. PHP session always creates a unique id for each browser user to recognize the user and avoid conflict between multiple browsers.
Watch the video wherein the concept is explained briefly with examples –
PHP SESSION_START() function
Here in PHP, You have a session_start() function for startup the session. This seesion_start() function starts a new session or resumes the existing session. In case, You already created session then it will return the existing session. And, On the other hand, if a session is not already created then firstly it will create a session and return new session.
Syntax:-
bool session_start ( void )
Example:-
session_start();
PHP $_SESSION
PHP $_SESSION is an associative array whose contains all the session variables. $_SESSION is used to set and get the session variable values in PHP. The Session variables are set with the PHP global variable is $_SESSION.
Example: Store information
- $_SESSION[“user”] = “Sachin”;
Example: Get information
- echo $_SESSION[“user”];
PHP Session Example
Let’s create a new page called “session.php”. In this page, you start a new PHP session and set some session variables.
File: session.php 
File: session2.php 
Output:- 
PHP Session Counter Example
File: sessioncounter.php 
Output:- 
PHP Destroying Session – session_destroy()
After Creating the session, if you want to delete all the session variables completely, then in case SESSION_DESTROY() function will help you to achieve this goal.
Output:- 
Watch this tutorial on YouTube –
Hope this article was helpful. If you have any topic in mind, on which you want us to write blog, feel free to mention that in the comment section below.
Happy programming !
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