Question

Session variable and SQL problem in PHP

Asked by: Gagik

Hi, I'm building an online store with PHP and MySQL.

consider the following script:

mysql_query("INSERT INTO orders (username, txn_id) VALUES('$_SESSION[username]','$txn_id') ") or die(mysql_error());

The $_SESSION['username'] has a value, i.e. it's not null, thus if I do:
print $_SESSION['username'];
it prints out the content of the $_SESSION['username'] (ex: Michael123)

But  the problem is when I put $_SESSION['username'] into the SQL, it doesn't write anything in the database, as if the $_SESSION['username'] was empty!

Normally, the field "username" in "orders" table should receive the value of $_SESSION['username'] since the latter already contains the username (the proof is the print), but for some strange reason the database doesn't receive anything at all!

The fields "username" is a VARCHAR(45) with default NULL.

Can anyone tell me what's wrong??

Please be very specific!

Thanks a lot

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Asked On
2007-06-27 at 23:11:59ID22663323
Tags

session

,

variable

,

php

,

sql

Topics

MySQL Server

,

PHP and Databases

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
10

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Answers

 

by: Raynard7Posted on 2007-06-27 at 23:14:17ID: 19378473

Hi,

this is because you are using php and to reference an array within "" then you need curly braces

ie

mysql_query("INSERT INTO orders (username, txn_id) VALUES('{$_SESSION[username]}','$txn_id') ") or die(mysql_error());

should work

 

by: RoonaanPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:07:13ID: 19378689

Also, you should include escaping, to prevent sql injection:

$query = sprintf("INSERT INTO orders (username, txn_id) VALUES('%s',%s')"
                           , mysql_real_escape_string($_SESSION['username'])
                           , mysql_real_escape_string($txn_id)
                 );

mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

-r-

 

by: RoonaanPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:07:49ID: 19378691

Sorry, missed a quote before the second %s:

$query = sprintf("INSERT INTO orders (username, txn_id) VALUES('%s','%s')"
                           , mysql_real_escape_string($_SESSION['username'])
                           , mysql_real_escape_string($txn_id)
                 );

-r-

 

by: GagikPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:09:56ID: 19378701

I tried like this but it doesn't work!

but when I do :$_SESSION['username']="Some_username";
and then: mysql_query("INSERT INTO orders (username, txn_id) VALUES('$_SESSION[username]','$txn_id') ") or die(mysql_error());

then it works!

So i think the {} are not the problem

 

by: RoonaanPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:13:47ID: 19378713

What is the mysql_error you get?

 

by: GagikPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:45:11ID: 19378824

I dont get any errors! it simply inserats a new row and a value for "txn_id" but a SPACE for the "username"!!!

its strange

 

by: RoonaanPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:50:57ID: 19378842

Can you try using the sprintf way, and possibly do an echo $query.

If at that stage the $query doesn't contain the proper value, but a print $_SESSION['username'] works, then something magically is happening.

 

by: GagikPosted on 2007-06-28 at 00:52:11ID: 19378845

lol ok, 1 min

 

by: GagikPosted on 2008-01-12 at 02:12:37ID: 20643340

It was my mistake in this code actually, because the session was created between the server and the third part (PayPal)!

So it's normal that the SESSION variable was empty since it was PayPals server that was interacting with my Hosting server and not my browser.

Thanks for your participation!

 

by: GagikPosted on 2008-01-12 at 02:14:09ID: 31407426

It was my mistake, I had a wrong code!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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