Setting a cookie

Question

Trying to learn cookies in PHP to me everything seems fine but it doesnt even set the cookie
here is the code

<?php
 if (isset($_COOKIE['user'])) {
 header('Location: simple.php'); 
 } else {
 if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
 if (isset($_POST['username']) && isset($_POST['password'])) {
 if (isset($_POST['checkbox'])) {
 $expire = time() + 60 * 60;
 setcookie('user', $_POST['username'], $expire);
 } else {
 header('Location: simple.php');
 }
 } else {
 echo 'Please Enter Your Information !';
 }
 } else {
 echo 'Please Submit';
 }
 }
?>

Edit

tried

<?php 
 setcookie("testcookie","testvalue",0); 
 echo $_COOKIE['testcookie'];
?>

Result is

Notice: Undefined index: testcookie in /var/www/php-practice/cookies/test.php on line 1

and it sets the cookie testcookie in browser with the value testvalue
Feel there is some error in $_POST['submit'] because

if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
 //everything else
} else {
 echo 'Submit Button Problem !';
}

it prints the Submit Button Problem ! here is the HTML of the submit button

<input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit" />

Looked at this question and tried it but still nothing

I tried everything I could but it doesnt work
Help !

• Prisoner: you should use sessions, in most use-cases. in this case, I could simply create a cookie on my side and I'd be "authenticated".
• Maarkoize: What happens? Did you get redirected to simple.php or is there a message or something else? The setcookie() function looks ok.
• Waqas: @Prisoner just trying cookies for learning and its not working
• bagonyi: Make sure to remove any whitespace from the beginning of your php file.
• Waqas: @MarcelBalzer it doesnt redirects to the simple.php

Answer 1

Note you can't set and display cookies on same page at same time. If you set and redirect to another page or reload the page, it will show the cookie value.

<?php 
 setcookie("testcookie","testvalue",0); //this will work
 echo $_COOKIE['testcookie']; // won't work unless reloaded
?>

For your initial script. Ensure that $_POST['checkbox'] exists, is checkbox the name of your html form checkbox input?

//Your HTML form should include this
<input type="checkbox" value="1" name="checkbox" /> 
 if (isset($_POST['checkbox'])) {
 $expire = time() + 60 * 60;
 setcookie('user', $_POST['username'], $expire);
 } else {
 header('Location: simple.php');
 }

Edit your HTML Form to include method="post"

<form method="post">
 <input type="text" name="username" />
 <input type="password" name="password" />
 <input type="checkbox" value="1" name="checkbox" /> 
 <input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit" />
</form>

• Waqas: it doesnt go inside the if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {} in html form i have submit is like that <input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit" />
• andychukse: ensure your form has method="post" check my answer for modification

Answer 2

The $_COOKIE is only available after the site was loaded.