To set, retrieve and delete cookies in PHP. In this tutorial, you will learn how to set, get and delete cookies in PHP.
First of all, you need to know about cookies.
A cookie is a small file with the maximum size of 4KB that the web server stores on the client computer. Once a cookie has been set, all page requests that follow return the cookie name and value.
A cookie can only be read from the domain that it has been issued from. For example, a cookie set using the domain www.tutsmake.com can not be read from the domain career.tutsmake.com.
Note that, Each time the browser requests a page to the server, all the data in the cookie is automatically sent to the server within the request.
How to Create, Access and Delete Cookies in PHP
Use the following methods to set, get and delete cookies in PHP:
- Set Cookie PHP
- Get Cookie PHP
- Delete Cookie PHP
- Uses of PHP cookie
Set Cookie PHP
Let’s see the basic syntax of used to set a cookie in php:
<?php setcookie(cookie_name, cookie_value, [expiry_time], [cookie_path], [domain], [secure], [httponly]); ?>
Example of set cookie in PHP:
$first_name = 'Tutsmake.com'; setcookie('first_name',$first_name,time() + (86400 * 7)); // 86400 = 1 day
Get Cookie PHP
To retrieve the get cookie in PHP:
<?php print_r($_COOKIE); //output the contents of the cookie array variable ?>
Output of the above code will be:
Output: Array ( [PHPSESSID] => h5onbf7pctbr0t68adugdp2611 [first_name] => Tutsmake.com)
If you want to get only single cookie in PHP. So, you can use the key while getting the cookie in php as follow:
echo 'Hello '.($_COOKIE['first_name']!='' ? $_COOKIE['first_name'] : 'Guest');
Delete Cookie PHP
If you want to destroy a cookie before its expiry time, then you set the expiry time to a time that has already passed.
<?php setcookie("first_name", "Tutsmake.com", time() - 360,'/'); ?>
Uses of PHP cookie
- The cookie is a file websites store in their users’ computers.
- Cookies allow web applications to identify their users and track their activity.
- To set cookies, PHP
setcookie()
is used. - To see whether cookies are set, use PHP
isset()
function.
Conclusion
How to cookie set, retrieve and delete in php. In this tutorial, you have learn how to set, get and delete cookies in PHP. And as well as uses of PHP cookies.