CodeIgniter Wildcard Query - php

Question

I am trying to perform a wildcard search query using CI.
I am checking for loggedin sessions. If a user is logged into more than one device, a popup is displayed. To check if the user is logged in from any other device, I perform a wildcard query to check the existence of its user id in the user_data column and return the number of rows. The problem I am facing is, even if I am logging in for the first time, it goes to the else clause and not to if or if-else clause.
In my controller, I am checking if it reaches the else clause, display a popup. However, it is going to the else clause even if someone is logging in for the first time.
Model:
public function update_bool($id) {
$this->db->select('user_data');
$this->db->from('ci_sess');
$this->db->like('user_data', $id, 'both');
$counter = $this->db->get()->row();
if (empty($counter)) $counter = 0;
else if($counter === 1) $counter = 1;
else $counter = 3;
return $counter;
}
Controller:
$counter = $this->ion_auth_model->loggedin_status_update_bool($userId);
if($this->ion_auth_model->loggedin_status_update_bool($userId) === 3) {
warning('multiple_session_title', 'multiple_session_text');
}

Answer 1

You need to count number of rows return by the query. And based on no of records, your condition will work. Currently its returning one row of type array. And $counter as array to match else if condition will always fail.
I hope this will help you.
....
$query = $this->db->get();
$counter = $query->num_rows();
if (empty($counter)) {
$counter = 0;
}else if($counter === 1) {
$counter = 1;
} else {
$counter = 3;
}
return $counter;

Answer 2

I think your shorthand might be off a little and if I understand what you mean then there would be multiple sessions for the same user in the table meaning you couldn't get it using ->row().
Try like this:
public function update_bool($id) {
$this->db->select('user_data');
$this->db->from('ci_sess');
$this->db->like('user_data', $id, 'both');
$query = $this->db->get();
return $query->num_rows(); // This will give you now many times this user exists in the database, eg 0, 1, 2, 3
}
Then clean up your controller so you're not calling the database twice:
$counter = $this->ion_auth_model->loggedin_status_update_bool($userId);
if($counter == 3) {
warning('multiple_session_title', 'multiple_session_text');
}