Superglobal variables question

[bluedot]

Hi,

I have a pretty simple member login, if the entered password and username are in the database it takes the user to a very simple control panal where they can edit things on the site.
I have a table in a database that has the usernames, passwords, first names, last names, and emails in it.

All I want is the name that corrasponds with the entered username to be displayed in the simple control panel.
I know a very round about way of doing it with hidden fields in an HTML form but i'd like to do it with superglobals, but i can't find a tutorial that i can understand.
I would greatly appriciate if somebody would break superglobals down to laymen terms and show me how to do this. Thanks!

[trq]

How are you [i]loging in[/i] users? I meen, have you anything setup to stop me (if I knew the address of this [i]admin[/i] page) going directly to it?

You need to find a tutorial on a [i]php login system[/i]. Google should have MANY such tutorials.

Most login systems use the $_SESSION super global array to maintain a users identity.

[bluedot]

If the password and username they entered are in the database then this is executed:
[code]setcookie("loggedin", "TRUE", time()+(3600 * 24));
setcookie("mysite_username", "$username");[/code]

then on each page that i want restricted i have:
[code]if (!isset($_COOKIE['loggedin'])) die("You are not logged in!");
$mysite_username = $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS["mysite_username"];[/code]

I tried google.. but people always make their programs so big and explain so little of it that i get lost. I just need the most simplistic breakdown of how superglobals work..

[fert]

[code]
setcookie("mysite_username", "$username");
[/code]
should be
[code]
setcookie("mysite_username", $username,0,"www.mysite.com",0);
[/code]
and
[code]
$mysite_username = $_COOKIE['mysite_username'];
[/code]

[bluedot]

that does'nt seem to work, it prints a blank.
what are the 0's for in
[code]setcookie("mysite_username", $username,0,"www.mysite.com",0);[/code]
?

[trq]

[quote]what are the 0's for[/quote]

How about looking up the [url=http://php.net/setcookie]setcookie[/url] function in the manual? It explains things in much more detail than we can and you don't have to wait for an answer.