Connect to a facebook app for longer than a session - php

Question

I've been searching and trying around for a couple of hours, but I can't figure it out.
I use a facebook app to get some information of the user, therefor the user needs to connect to the app. The first time the user connects, he needs to give permission to the app on facebook. When the user comes back another day, he needs to click connect again, but the permission is already set.
I want the user to be connected longer than the session, so he doesn't need to click connect everytime he visits the site (in a new session). I've read a lot about offline_access etc but this is deprecated and probably not what I need at last. I've also read some solutions from 2 years ago, but they don't work anymore.
An example to summarize:
Assume the user visits my website and I know nothing about him. He gave permission to my app a few days ago. I want him to see Hello and the logoutlink without doing anything. I'm starting to wonder if this is even possible?
// Create our Application instance.
$facebook = new Facebook(
array(
'appId' => xxxxxxxxxx,
'secret' => xxxxxxxxxx,
)
);
// Get User ID
$fbuser = $facebook->getUser();
if($fbuser) {
$logoutUrl = $facebook->getLogoutUrl();
print 'Hello' . $logoutUrl;
} else {
$loginUrl = $facebook->getLoginUrl();
}
Thank you in advance!
Regards

Answer 1

I don't think that php is the way to go with this one...
You should use the facebook javascript sdk (https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/javascript/) with which you can log the user in..
If the user is already logged in to facebook and has a session (and of course has already authorized your application before) then you are all set, otherwise the user will have to login to facebook or authorize you application.
use the FB.getLoginStatus to check if the user is logged in, if he is not then present him with a button that will call the FB.login method

Answer 2

Yes you should only use facebook to get certain data then you should store all that data with the unique fb_user_id in your own database and create your own session for the user!
So during facebook signup social plugin you create a user in your own database, then during each login you actually create you own session and if you make it secure you can rely on your own session, if you use any facebook API stuff and your session is closed it will handle it on the facebook server, it might ask user to log in if they are logged out of facebook, but most people don't even logout so it just recreates the session!
so something like:
// Create our Application instance.
$facebook = new Facebook(
array(
'appId' => xxxxxxxxxx,
'secret' => xxxxxxxxxx,
)
);
inlcude "my_session_stuff.inc";
// Get User ID
if(!$user->user_exists){
$fbuser = $facebook->getUser();
}else{
$fbuser = $user;
}
if($fbuser) {
$logoutUrl = $facebook->getLogoutUrl();
$expires = (60*60*24*365);//expire in a year
$user = $myownSession->log_user_out($logoutUrl);
} else {
$loginUrl = $facebook->getLoginUrl();
$user = $myownSession->log_user_in($getLoginUrl,$expires);
}