Here is my code... I am testing a password and assigning a cookie accordingly. After I've done so, I want the validation page to forward to user to the members page.

<?php
   $test = $_POST['Password1'];
   if ($test == 'BowWow') {
      $_COOKIE['Level'] = 'One';
   }
   if ($test == 'Testing') {
      $_COOKIE['Level'] = 'Two';
   }
   if ($test == 'GrandPooBah') {
      $_COOKIE['Level'] = 'Three';
   }

   header("Location:" . 'members.php');
?>

I've tested the code and verified that it is sending the password along properly. I've also verified that the Level cookie is being set to One, Two or Three. It just isn't forwarding the person to the members.php page. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Leebert45

Ok, so it looks like that previous code is working. The code on the members.php page which looks for the cookie doesn't seem to work. Here is what I have:

<?php
  $test = $_COOKIE['Level'];
  if ($test == '') {
     header("Location:" . 'login.htm');
  }
  echo $test;
?>

Fixed things sort of. Instead of having a validation.php file which set the cookie and verified the passwords, I am sending the data right to the members page. That way it can validate the password, and give access to member without the need for cookies.

header("location: blaat.php");

should work, make sure you add a exit(); behind it so it does not execute any code.

Common pitfalls:

Cookies will not become visible until the next loading of a page that the cookie should be visible for. To test if a cookie was successfully set, check for the cookie on a next loading page before the cookie expires. Expire time is set via the expire parameter. A nice way to debug the existence of cookies is by simply calling print_r($_COOKIE);.

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

Also dont use cookies if you dont want people "cheating" on your site.. They can be edited to say whatever.

Originally Posted by lynxus

Also dont use cookies if you dont want people "cheating" on your site.. They can be edited to say whatever.

Agreed. It's much safer to use a $_SESSION when you're dealing with something like this.
http://php.net/session