PHP Cookies
Cookies are small text file stored on client computer, used to identify a user.
Cookies store a user information like username and password on client computer for further use.
User use same computer many time each time it will send a cookie too.
In PHP we can create a cookie and retrieve cookie values.
Create Cookies with PHP
- The setcookie() function used to create a cookie.
- A single domain has maximum 20 cookies.
- A single cookie can not exceed 4 kilobytes in size.
- PHP setcookie() function must be called before <html> tag.
- The setcookie() function has up to six arguments.
setcookie() function syntax:
setcookie(name, value, expire, path, domain, security);
Name : This is name of the cookie and it is used to retrieve cookie.
Value : information or value to be stored in cookie.
Expire : used to set time of expiry of cookie. If not set expiry the cookie automatically expire when browser closed.
Path : “/” means the cookie available in entire website or all directories. or we can specify the directories for valid cookie.
Domain : used to specify the domain name.
Security : used to security purpose. set 1 or 0, 1 for secure transmission using HTTPS and 0 for sent by simple HTTP.
Example of create cookies
setcookie(“example”, “meera”, time() + 3600, “/”, “”, 0);
Here, we create cookie named “example” with value “meera”. The cookie will expire after 1 hour. The “/” means cookie available in all directories.
PHP Example :
Create php form with named “example.php” for create cookie name and id.
<?php
setcookie("name","meera", time() + 3600, "/", "", 0);
setcookie("id", "25", time() + 3600, "/", "", 0);
?>
<HTML>
<head>
<title>Create cookies in PHP</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
echo "The cookies created for name and id.";
?>
</body>
</HTML>
Retrieve cookies in PHP
The cookies retrieve using the $_COOKIE[] global variable.
The isset() function used to check if a cookie is set or not.
Example if retrieve cookies in PHP.
Create php form “cexample.php” with below code for retrieve cookie name and id.
<HTML>
<head>
<title>Retrieve cookies in PHP</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
if(isset($_COOKIE["name"]) && isset($_COOKIE["id"]))
{
echo " The name = " .$_COOKIE["name"]. "<br/>";
echo "The id = ". $_COOKIE["id"];
}
else
{
echo "Sorry !! cookies is not set.";
}
?>
</body>
</HTML>
In above example out put is :
The name = meera
The id = 25
Delete / Destroy cookies in PHP
For delete a cookie, use setcookie() function with date that already expired.
Create php form “dexample.php” for delete cookie name and id.
<?php
setcookie("name","", time() - 3600, "/", "", 0);
setcookie("id", "", time() - 3600, "/", "", 0);
?>
<HTML>
<head>
<title>Delete cookies in PHP</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
echo "The cookies Deleted for name and id.";
?>
</body>
</HTML>
PHP cookies create , retrieve and delete example.