README

Here's the README.md for the Session library, including installation instructions, sample .env file, and usage details:

Session Library with Timeout and Flash Data Support

The Session class provides advanced session management with features like automatic session timeout handling, flash data storage, and more. This library allows you to manage session values easily and securely.

Features

• Session Timeout: Automatically expires sessions after a specified timeout period.
• Flash Data: Store and retrieve flash data that persists for a single session request.
• Configurable Session Parameters: Customize session name, timeout, path, domain, and secure flags.
• Easy-to-Use API: Manage session data with simple methods for setting, getting, and removing session values.

Installation

1. Install the Package via Composer

   To install the refkinscallv/session package, run the following command:

   composer require refkinscallv/session

   This command will download and install the library along with its dependencies.

2. Include the Composer Autoloader

   Make sure to include the Composer autoloader at the top of your PHP scripts to automatically load the classes:

   require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

3. Environment Configuration

   Make sure that your environment variables are properly configured for session management. You can do this by creating a .env file in the root directory of your project (if not already present) with the following contents:

   Sample .env File:

   SESSION_NAME=web_session
   SESSION_TIMEOUT=1
   SESSION_PATH=/
   SESSION_SECURE=false

   This file defines:

   • SESSION_NAME: The name of the session.
   • SESSION_TIMEOUT: The session timeout duration in hours (default is 1 hour).
   • SESSION_PATH: The path on the server where the session is available.
   • SESSION_SECURE: Whether the session should be marked as secure (use HTTPS only). Set to false by default.

4. Using the Library

   After installing the package and configuring your environment, you can now begin using the Session class in your project.

Usage

Basic Setup

use RF\Session\Session;

// Initialize the session
$session = new Session();

// Start the session
$session->start();

// Set a session value
$session->set('user', 'John Doe');

// Get a session value
echo $session->get('user'); // Outputs: John Doe

// Check if a session key exists
if ($session->has('user')) {
    echo 'User session is set.';
}

// Get multiple session values
$values = $session->some(['user', 'role']);
echo $values['user']; // Outputs: John Doe

// Set flash data
$session->setFlash('message', 'Session started successfully!');

// Get and remove flash data
echo $session->getFlash('message'); // Outputs: Session started successfully!

Configuration

Constructor Parameters

public function __construct()

• No parameters: The constructor automatically reads environment variables from the server and configures the session accordingly.

Environment Variables

Methods

start()

Starts the session if it hasn’t already been started.

set(string|array $key, mixed $value = null)

Sets a session value or multiple values if an associative array is provided.

get(string $key, mixed $default = null)

Retrieves a session value by key. If the key doesn’t exist, returns the provided default value.

some(array $keys, mixed $default = null)

Retrieves multiple session values by their keys. Returns an associative array with key-value pairs.

has(string $key)

Checks if a session key exists.

remove(string $key)

Removes a session value by key.

setFlash(string $key, mixed $value)

Sets a flash session value. Flash data will persist for one session request.

getFlash(string $key, mixed $default = null)

Retrieves and removes a flash session value.

clear()

Clears all session values.

destroy()

Destroys the session.

Example with Flash Data

Flash data allows you to store session data that only persists for a single request. This is useful for storing messages that need to be displayed once, such as success or error messages.

use RF\Session\Session;

// Initialize the session
$session = new Session();

// Set flash data
$session->setFlash('success', 'Your account has been created successfully!');

// Retrieve and remove flash data
echo $session->getFlash('success'); // Outputs: Your account has been created successfully!

Notes

• Session Timeout: The session will automatically expire after the specified timeout duration, and any session data will be cleared.
• Secure Cookies: If you enable the SESSION_SECURE option, make sure to use HTTPS in your environment to ensure session data is transmitted securely.
• Headers Sent: Ensure that session management functions are called before any output is sent to the browser to avoid headers already sent errors.

License

This library is released under the MIT License.