A most annoying problem

[Steppio]

As much as i want to just give up i absolutely have to finish this as i've started it. Can anybody please help me before i blow my brains out - i have a problem (no pun intended). I want some users to have other rights then other users, for instance i want both types of user (admin and user) to log in through the same form, but i want the login function to take the username and password and depending on the username i want it to decide if the login is for admin or user access. The code i have worked with a switch, but never ever ever works no matter where i put it in the code:

 

function login($usern, $pass)
// check username and password with db
// if yes, return true
// else throw exception
{
// connect to db
$conn = db_connect();

// check username is unique
$result = $conn->query("select * from t_users where username='$usern' and password=sha1('$pass')");
switch ($usern) {
case 'Ste':
          	$bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Keith':
          	$bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Dave.Fingers':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
     	case 'Ben':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Matt':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
          default:
          	$bgi = no;
     }
     return ('$decide = ' . $bgi . ';');
if ($result->num_rows>0)
  return $decide;
  return true;
if (!$result)
	throw new Exception('Could not log you in.');
else 
	throw new Exception('Could not log you in - message 2.');
}

 

This is were i originally tried to put it, then i made a function out of it itself, tried to call the function and stick the $decide into a session variable, then i tried to stick it into the login page:

 

if ($usern && $pass)
// if they have just tried logging in
{
try
{	
switch ($usern) {
		 case 'Ste':
          	$bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Keith':
          	$bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Dave.Fingers':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
     		 case 'Ben':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
          case 'Matt':
            $bgi = yes;
            break;
          default:
          	$bgi = no;
     }
     return ('$decide = ' . $bgi . ';');
	login($usern, $pass);
	// if they are in the database register the user id
  $_SESSION['valid_user'] = $usern;
}
catch(Exception $e)
{
	require('head.inc');
	// unsuccesful login
	echo 'You could not be logged in. You must be logged in to view this page.<br>';
	echo '<a href="main.php">Back to main page...</a>';
	require('foot.inc');
	exit;
}
require('head.inc');
echo 'Hi ' . $usern . ' and welcome to the Members page. From this page you can control your settings associated with Kin-Kade.com. <br /><br />';
echo '<a href="main.php?<?php echo strip_tags(SID); ?>">Back to main page...</a><br /><br />';
echo $_SESSION['valid_user'];
echo $decide;
require('foot.inc');
}
}
?>

 

None of it works and it never prints the variable $decide, presumably because i have done something wrong that my stupid eyes and overlooking brain cant see. Please, Plllleeeeeaaaase help me.

[trq]

yes is not a constant, try...

 

$bgi = 'yes';

 

Your code should be generating errors.

[Steppio]

Just tried that, no errors, no output ... urrrgh

[trq]

Your code ia pretty well all over the place. In your first example your calling return before any output. Your second, has what would seem invalid use of try catch blocks.

[Psycho]

You can't use multiple returns in succession. As soon as the first return is processed in a function the processing exits the function. Also, you are returning a string in one instance of '$decide = ' . $bgi . ';' What are you expecting that to do? It' won't assing the value to the variable $decide. Also, is there a reason you are using Exceptions to handle functionality?

 

As far as admin vs. user a better way to handle it would be to add a column to the user table for admin. Set the value to 1 for admin users and 0 for everyone else.

 

Anyway, here is a rewrite of your code (not tested) which should have the functionality you are looking for:

 

<?php
function login($usern, $pass)
// check username and password with db
// if yes, return true
// else throw exception
{
 // connect to db
 $conn = db_connect();

 // check username is unique
 $result = $conn->query("select * from t_users where username='$usern' and password=sha1('$pass')");

 if ($result->num_rows===1) {
   return true;
 }

 if (!$result->num_rows<1) {
   return 'That username/password was not found.';
 } elseif ($result->num_rows>1) {
   return 'Unable to log you in. Duplicate records.';
 }

 return 'Unable to log you in. Unknown error';

}
?>

 

<?php

if ($usern && $pass)
// if they have just tried logging in
{
 $login = login($usern, $pass);

 if ($login !== true) {

   // unsuccesful login
   require('head.inc');
   echo 'You could not be logged in. You must be logged in to view this page.<br><br>';
   echo $login; //Login error message
   echo '<br><br><a href="main.php">Back to main page...</a>';
   require('foot.inc');
   exit;

 } else {

   switch ($usern) {
     case 'Ste':
     case 'Keith':
     case 'Dave.Fingers':
     case 'Ben':
     case 'Matt':
       $bgi = yes;
       break;
     default:
       $bgi = no;
    }

   $_SESSION['valid_user'] = $usern;

   require('head.inc');
   echo 'Hi ' . $usern . ' and welcome to the Members page. From this page you can control your settings associated with Kin-Kade.com. <br /><br />';
   echo '<a href="main.php?<?php echo strip_tags(SID); ?>">Back to main page...</a><br /><br />';
   echo $_SESSION['valid_user'];
   echo "<br><br>Admin: $bgi<br><br>";
   require('foot.inc');
 }

}
?>

[Example303]

Mjdamato i am sorry to say its wrong...

[Steppio]

mjdamato ... i love you. Thank you so much for your help it appears to work excellently. Just in case you think i'm trying to get by on other peoples knowledge i'll explain a little of my predicament. I'm in a band and in the middle of a cash flow crisis i told the band i'd do the site. To begin with i started with a static HTML / CSS combo, but slowly the lure of PHP and Javascript, and basically the whole dynamic website scene began to cloud my focus, and now even though i could pay for someone to finish it off properly i've spent weeks and months doing this whole thing, everything from the graphics to the coding, and i feel as though i absolutely have to finish it. I've realised i'm crap at PHP but i may pursue it further, it's just very complicated and it's the first language of its type i've tried to learn. I've bit off more than i can chew but thank you for your help and everybody who replied, its most appreciated. Thanks again!

 

Ste