If you want to handle sessions with a class, I wrote this little class:
<?php
/*
Use the static method getInstance to get the object.
*/
class Session
{
const SESSION_STARTED = TRUE;
const SESSION_NOT_STARTED = FALSE;
// The state of the session
private $sessionState = self::SESSION_NOT_STARTED;
// THE only instance of the class
private static $instance;
private function __construct() {}
/**
* Returns THE instance of 'Session'.
* The session is automatically initialized if it wasn't.
*
* @return object
**/
public static function getInstance()
{
if ( !isset(self::$instance))
{
self::$instance = new self;
}
self::$instance->startSession();
return self::$instance;
}
/**
* (Re)starts the session.
*
* @return bool TRUE if the session has been initialized, else FALSE.
**/
public function startSession()
{
if ( $this->sessionState == self::SESSION_NOT_STARTED )
{
$this->sessionState = session_start();
}
return $this->sessionState;
}
/**
* Stores datas in the session.
* Example: $instance->foo = 'bar';
*
* @param name Name of the datas.
* @param value Your datas.
* @return void
**/
public function __set( $name , $value )
{
$_SESSION[$name] = $value;
}
/**
* Gets datas from the session.
* Example: echo $instance->foo;
*
* @param name Name of the datas to get.
* @return mixed Datas stored in session.
**/
public function __get( $name )
{
if ( isset($_SESSION[$name]))
{
return $_SESSION[$name];
}
}
public function __isset( $name )
{
return isset($_SESSION[$name]);
}
public function __unset( $name )
{
unset( $_SESSION[$name] );
}
/**
* Destroys the current session.
*
* @return bool TRUE is session has been deleted, else FALSE.
**/
public function destroy()
{
if ( $this->sessionState == self::SESSION_STARTED )
{
$this->sessionState = !session_destroy();
unset( $_SESSION );
return !$this->sessionState;
}
return FALSE;
}
}
/*
Examples:
*/
// We get the instance
$data = Session::getInstance();
// Let's store datas in the session
$data->nickname = 'Someone';
$data->age = 18;
// Let's display datas
printf( '<p>My name is %s and I\'m %d years old.</p>' , $data->nickname , $data->age );
/*
It will display:
Array
(
[nickname] => Someone
[age] => 18
)
*/
printf( '<pre>%s</pre>' , print_r( $_SESSION , TRUE ));
// TRUE
var_dump( isset( $data->nickname ));
// We destroy the session
$data->destroy();
// FALSE
var_dump( isset( $data->nickname ));
?>
I prefer using this class instead of using directly the array $_SESSION.