Advice on PHP cookie problem

reefoid · 23 Apr 2009 at 09:35

OK, bit of a newb with cookies, just trying to get my head round them but I can't seem to be able to get them to work.

Here is my code:

PHP:

<html>
	<head>
    <title>Cookies</title>
    </head>
    <body>
		<?php setcookie('test', 45, time()+(60*60*24*7)); ?>
	</body>
</html>

I'm getting the following error:

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at C:\WEB\APACHE\htdocs\Archive\php_sandbox\cookies.php:6) in C:\WEB\APACHE\htdocs\Archive\php_sandbox\cookies.php on line 6

I've done a Google and whilst there seem to be lots of results, nothing seems to provide a solution.

Any ideas?

Thanks

ringo747 · 23 Apr 2009 at 09:41

Have a look at output buffering.

http://uk3.php.net/outcontrol

reefoid · 23 Apr 2009 at 09:55

Thanks Ringo.

So do you think I need to flush some info before setting the cookie? Not sure I understand that page info, do you know specifically which function I should be looking at?

Most of the Google responses seem to be about redundant white space in the code but I've tried several editors and there doesn't seem to be any white space.

PMWD · 23 Apr 2009 at 09:58

You need to set the cookie before you output anything to the browser.

Try:

PHP:

<?php setcookie('test', 45, time()+(60*60*24*7)); ?>
<html>
    <head>
    <title>Cookies</title>
    </head>
    <body>
        &nbsp;
    </body>
</html>

reefoid · 23 Apr 2009 at 10:02

Thanks PMWD, now sorted.

Its a bit weird though. I'm going through a lynda.com tutorial DVD and he has it the same as my original code and it seems to work for him.

Cheers anyway.

ringo747 · 23 Apr 2009 at 10:27

You cannot send modified headers after some other content has been output. You can buffer the contents which means nothing is output until you decide to use the buffer contents. Thats a very basic explanation!