ok... im kinda new to php, and i've been having some trouble getting anything right

so heres what i got:
My login form:

<?php

echo '<form method="POST" action="validate.php">
	  &nbsp;<b>Username</b>:<br>
	  &nbsp;<input type="text" name="user_var" onfocus=this.value="" class="login" value="Username"><br>
	  &nbsp;<b>Password</b>:<br>
	  &nbsp;<input type="password" name="pass_var" onfocus=this.value="" class="login" value="Password"><br>
	  &nbsp;<input type="submit" value="Login"><br><a href="#">Register</a>
	   </form>'
?>

Validate.php:

<?php
	session_start();
	$db_user = 'root';
	$db_pass = 'dorkbear';
	$username = $_POST['username'];
	$password = $_POST['password'];

	$connection = mysql_connect('localhost', $db_user, $db_pass) or die(mysql_error());
	mysql_select_db('loginMattsMods', $connection) or die(mysql_error());

	$query = "SELECT * FROM users 
			WHERE username='$username' AND password='$password'";

	$result = mysql_query($query, $connection) or die('error making query');
	$affected_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

	if($affected_rows == 1) {
		print 'validated';
	}
	else {
		print 'not valid';
	}
?>

please help!

-matt

This might be wrong but....

the variables you are posting with the form from the input text boxes are 'user_var' and 'pass_var' but in the validation you collect the variables 'username' and 'password' from the $_POST. You need to match them up and that should sort it.

Nailed on the head!
$_POST['username']; should be $_POST['user_var']; and $_POST['password']; should be $_POST['pass_var'];

unfortunetly that wasnt my big problem...
http://beasters.serveftp.com
login with this info:
username: beasters
password: dorkbear
this was the only real problem

That problem means that the password set for mysql is either corrupt or.....well lets just say it's not right as I don't know exactly how to explain it, I just know that going into mysqladmin and changing your password should work.

hmmm... could you walk me through doing that through MySQL Command Client? I don't have any fancy scripts or Control Pannels, its runnin on my spare PC.

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/re...rmissions.html

The MySQL documentation is a beautiful thing.