Cookie Destruction

[dozier]

I'm playing around with using cookies, and I have a question. How does one "get rid of" a cookie before its expiration? I'm using a cookie to store login information, but what if the user decides they no longer want the site to remember their info? Thanks.

 

[Haunter]

You simple set the cookie to a null value and that will remove the cookie.

 

[dozier]

I assume you mean something like this:

$cookie = $co->cookie
(
-name=>'login_cookie',
-value=>'',
);

print $co->header(-cookie=>$cookie);

But that didn't work.

 

[Haunter]

Yes that is correct. But remember how cookies work. You have to re-invoke the script to get the server to resend the new empty cookie. You make need to send them to a simple redirect page to get it to reload the script and pick of the empty or non-existance cookie.

 

[Haunter]

Try this little debuggin trick

$cookie = $co->cookie
(
-name=>'login_cookie',
-value=>'', <---use double quotes
);

print $co->header();<---remoive when done
print $co->header(-cookie=>$cookie);

Now you can see what the cookie is being set to.
It should look like this..

Content-type: text/html
Set-Cookie: ITEMS=; path=/your/path/; domain=

http://www.xyz.com

 

[tsdragon]

It's also a good idea to set the cookie expiration date to some day in the past. That will pretty much guarantee it will be deleted regardless of whether it has a value or not.
Tracy Dryden
tracy@bydisn.com

http://www.bydisn.com

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.