PHP - session_start() Function

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Definition and Usage

Sessions or session handling is a way to make the data available across various pages of a web application. The session_start() function is used to start a new session or, resume an existing one.

Syntax

session_start([$options]);

Parameters

Return Values

This function returns a boolean value which is TRUE if the session started successfully and FALSE if not successful.

PHP Version

This function was first introduced in PHP Version 4 and works in all the later versions.

Example 1

Following example demonstrates the usage of the session_start() function.

One executing the above html file it will display the following message −

You have visited this page 1 times in this session.

The number in the message keeps changing based on the number of times you refresh the page without closing the browser. For example, if you refresh 10 times, then the same page displays the following message.

You have visited this page 16 times in this session.

Example 2

Following is another example of this function, in here we have two pages from the same application in the same session −

session_page1.htm

   
      

          Enter the values click Submit and click on Next Name:
         


         Age:
         
           
         
         
Next'; ?>
      
   

This will produce the following output −

On clicking on Next the following file is executed.

session_page2.htm

   
   
      
   
   
      ";
         print($_SESSION['age']);
      ?>   
      

This will produce the following output −

Krishna
30

Example 3

You can pass optional array to this function as shown below −

   
   
      
      
   
       86400,'read_and_close'  => true];
         session_start($options);   
      ?>