Storing multiple values in a $_SESSION variable with PHP

Question

I'm creating a site which has a shopping cart. I do not need any special functionality so I'm creating the cart on my own rather than integrating any ready one. My products do not have a predefined price in the database. The price is being generated dynamically based on the values entered by a user on the product page. So, the user chooses some specifications, enters the quantity and I get the following values:

Item ID
Quantity
Total price

I need to store those values in the $_SESSION variable and then loop over it when needed to get the results and print them in the shopping cart. The problem is that there are a lot of products and I need to store all those values (Quantity, Total Price) distinctively for the chosen product. That said, how do I store Item ID, Quantity and Total price in the $_SESSION variable and associate those values with each other?

Thanks for helping.

EDIT: My code implementing Michael's suggestions:

$itemid = $db->escape($_POST['productid']);
    $itemquantity = $db->escape($_POST['itemquantity']);
    $totalprice = $db->escape($_POST['totalprice']);

    $_SESSION['items'] = array();

    $_SESSION['items'][$itemid] = array('Quantity' => $itemquantity, 'Total' => $totalprice);

    var_dump($_SESSION);

$_SESSION[] itself is an array. you can store arrays into it too. — Joseph
– Joseph, Commented Jan 22, 2012 at 20:41

Michael Berkowski · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-22 21:29:27Z

11

Use the item ID as an array key, which holds an array of the other items:

// Initialize the session
session_start();

// Parent array of all items, initialized if not already...
if (!isset($_SESSION['items']) {
  $_SESSION['items'] = array();
}

// Add items based on item ID
$_SESSION['items'][$itemID] = array('Quantity' => $quantity, 'Total' => $total);
// Another item...
$_SESSION['items'][$another_itemID] = array('Quantity' => $another_quantity, 'Total' => $another_total);
// etc...

And access them as:

// For item 12345's quantity
echo $_SESSION['items'][12345]['Quantity'];

// Add 1 to quantity for item 54321
$_SESSION['items'][54321]['Quantity']++;

edited Jan 22, 2012 at 21:29

answered Jan 22, 2012 at 20:39

Michael Berkowski

271k47 gold badges450 silver badges395 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

12 Comments

cycero Over a year ago

Thanks Michael! However this erases the existing values in the $_SESSION variable. Say, I've added one set of values with $itemID=29 and then when I add another one with $itemID=30 my $_SESSION variable contains only the last set of data.

Michael Berkowski Over a year ago

@cycero Not so. $_SESSION['items'] is an array. Each time you add an item to it with $_SESSION['items'][$newitemID] you're adding to the array, not overwriting the previous one.

cycero Over a year ago

When I do a simple print_r($_SESSION) it prints only the last set of values, not all.

Michael Berkowski Over a year ago

@cycero Post your current code implementing what I have above, and the var_dump($_SESSION)

cycero Over a year ago

I've updated my question with the code which returns only the last result set.

|

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Storing multiple values in a $_SESSION variable with PHP

1 Answer 1

12 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

12 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related