Check if cookie exists in CodeIgniter - php

Question

I'm using a search system, in PHP, that adds the text searched to an array and put it inside a cookie using json_encode().
The problem is: I need to check if the cookie already exists and, if not, create it.
I'm using the following code to simply verify if it exists but without success:
{
$search = $this->input->post('search_text');
$types = $this->input->post('search_type');
$checkboxes = "";
if(!empty($types))
{
foreach($types as $v)
$checkboxes = $v.",";
}
//cookie
$this->load->helper('cookie');
//cookie's array
$search_history = array();
array_push($search_history, $search);
//cookie check 1
if(get_cookie('search')!=''){
echo "cookie exists";
}else
echo "cookie doesn't exist";
// set cookie
$cookie = array(
'name' => 'search',
'value' => json_encode($search_history),
'expire' => time()+86500
);
set_cookie($cookie);
//cookie check 2
if(get_cookie('search')!=''){
echo "cookie exists";
}else
echo "cookie doesn't exist";
//echo get_cookie('search');
//redirect('search/'.urlencode($search).'/'.urlencode($checkboxes));
}
I can create the cookie and get it's value, but I can't seem to find a way to check if it's already created in PHP code.
Have already tried with:
if(get_cookie('search')!='')
,
if(get_cookie('search')!=null)
and with
if(get_cookie('search'))
but neither of those seem to work.
EDIT:
As suggested, I'm now using this and it doesn't create the cookie.
//cookie
$this->load->helper('cookie');
//cookie's array
$search_history = array();
array_push($search_history, $search);
if(cookie('search') == false){
// set cookie
$cookie = array(
'name' => 'search',
'value' => json_encode($search_history),
'expire' => time()+86500
);
set_cookie($cookie);
}
Final EDIT
Problem solved.
//checks if the cookie exists
if($this->input->cookie('cookiename')!=''){
//exists
}

Answer 1

use get_cookie()
if (is_null(get_cookie('cookiename'))) {
//set yours cookie here
}