Using Sessions To Remember User on PHP Form - php

Question

Intro: I'm trying to learn PHP on $_SESSION. What I was trying to do is call the value assigned through sessions that when you close your tab will keep the value assigned and echoes it on the browser when you open a tab in the browser.
Issue: There's something wrong with my code where for some reason I couldn't echo the value entered in on a form.
The form looks like this:
Name:_____________
Email:_____________ Remember me? __ SUBMIT
I made it so that $_SESSION['name'] = "John" and $_SESSION['email'] = "someemail#email.com" only when user click on "remember me".
If you close a "tab" on the browser but not the browser itself should echo...
John
someemail#email.com
Here's your download link (some link here)...
But of course if you close the browser, session is lost. Cookies can be used but I'm working on sessions to learn more.
Below's code runs but for some reason I couldn't echo values from $_SESSION variables.
<?php
//Start session
session_start();
// session
if (isset($_POST['remember'])) {
$customer_name = $_SESSION['name'];
if (!($customer_name)) {
$customer_name = $_POST['name'];
}
$customer_email = $_SESSION['email'];
if (!($customer_email)) {
$customer_email = $_POST['email'];
}
}
//If form submit validate
if (isset($_POST['Submit'])) {
// Santize fields here but FILTER_VALIDATE_STRING isn't necessary as there is no absolute way
//to validate names absolutely
// Also shows error message if there's error
if ($_POST['name'] != "") {
$_POST['name'] = filter_var($_POST['name'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
if ($_POST['name'] == "") {
$errors .= 'Please enter a valid first name.<br/><br/>';
}
} else {
$errors .= 'Please enter your first name.<br/>';
}
// Sanitize and validate email
// Error message shows if any
if ($_POST['email'] != "") {
$email = filter_var($_POST['email'], FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
$errors .= "$email is NOT a valid email address.<br/><br/>";
}
} else {
$errors .= 'Please enter your email address.<br/>';
}
// If no errors, submitted form is emailed
if (!$errors) {
echo "I did something!<br /><br />"; // might add some message
//downloadLink();
echo "<br /><br />";
}
} else {
echo '<div id="error">' . $errors . '<br /></div>';
}
?>
<form name="form1" method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>">
Name:
<?php
if (isset($_SESSION['name'])) {
echo $_SESSION['name']."<br />";
}
else {
?>
<input type="text" name="name" value="<?php echo $_POST['name']; ?>" size="25" /><br />
<?php } ?>
Email:
<?php
if (isset($_SESSION['email'])) {
echo $_SESSION['email']."<br /><br />";
// echo link.. downloadLink();
}
else {
?>
<input type="text" name="email" value="<?php echo $_POST['email']; ?>" size="25"/>
<input type="checkbox" name="remember" /> Remember me
<input type="submit" name="Submit" />
<?php } ?>
</form>
</div>

Answer 1

Put this at the beginning under session_start();
if (!isset($_SESSION['name'])) {
echo "Your session is not good";
} else { echo "Session is set";
}
then replace $customer_name = $_SESSION['name']; with $_SESSION['name']=$_POST['remember']; and you will start getting results.