Codeigniter Database session fix

For weeks I tolerated the annoyance of CodeIgniter’s Session library logging my out continuously, saying to myself “I works…kind of… ill fix it later”. Eventually the problem started affecting AJAX method calls, large file uploads and simple CRUD operation forms so I began trawling the internet for a fix.

After hours and hours, I found that there was no _reliable_ fix to the database sessions library and that the answer was, DON’T USE DATABASES.

I found this extremely helpful library fix: CI_Native_Session.

php  if (!defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');
/**
 * Code Igniter
 *
 * An open source application development framework for PHP 4.3.2 or newer
 *
 * @package        CodeIgniter
 * @author        Dariusz Debowczyk
 * @copyright    Copyright (c) 2006, D.Debowczyk
 * @license        http://www.codeignitor.com/user_guide/license.html
 * @link        http://www.codeigniter.com
 * @since        Version 1.0
 * @filesource
 */

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------

/**
 * Session class using native PHP session features and hardened against session fixation.
 *
 * @package        CodeIgniter
 * @subpackage    Libraries
 * @category    Sessions
 * @author        Dariusz Debowczyk
 * @link        http://www.codeigniter.com/user_guide/libraries/sessions.html
 */
class Native_session {
    var $session_id_ttl = 360; // session id time to live (TTL) in seconds
    var $flash_key = 'flash'; // prefix for "flash" variables (eg. flash:new:message)

    function Native_session()
    {
        log_message('debug', "Native_session Class Initialized");
        $this->_sess_run();
    }

    /**
    * Regenerates session id
    */
    function regenerate_id()
    {
        // copy old session data, including its id
        $old_session_id = session_id();
        $old_session_data = $_SESSION;

        // regenerate session id and store it
        session_regenerate_id();
        $new_session_id = session_id();

        // switch to the old session and destroy its storage
        session_id($old_session_id);
        session_destroy();

        // switch back to the new session id and send the cookie
        session_id($new_session_id);
        session_start();

        // restore the old session data into the new session
        $_SESSION = $old_session_data;

        // update the session creation time
        $_SESSION['regenerated'] = time();

        // session_write_close() patch based on this thread
        // http://www.codeigniter.com/forums/viewthread/1624/
        // there is a question mark ?? as to side affects

        // end the current session and store session data.
        session_write_close();
    }

    /**
    * Destroys the session and erases session storage
    */
    function destroy()
    {
        unset($_SESSION);
        if ( isset( $_COOKIE[session_name()] ) )
        {
              setcookie(session_name(), '', time()-42000, '/');
        }
        session_destroy();
    }

    /**
    * Reads given session attribute value
    */
    function userdata($item)
    {
        if($item == 'session_id'){ //added for backward-compatibility
            return session_id();
        }else{
            return ( ! isset($_SESSION[$item])) ? false : $_SESSION[$item];
        }
    }

    /**
    * Sets session attributes to the given values
    */
    function set_userdata($newdata = array(), $newval = '')
    {
        if (is_string($newdata))
        {
            $newdata = array($newdata => $newval);
        }

        if (count($newdata) > 0)
        {
            foreach ($newdata as $key => $val)
            {
                $_SESSION[$key] = $val;
            }
        }
    }

    /**
    * Erases given session attributes
    */
    function unset_userdata($newdata = array())
    {
        if (is_string($newdata))
        {
            $newdata = array($newdata => '');
        }

        if (count($newdata) > 0)
        {
            foreach ($newdata as $key => $val)
            {
                unset($_SESSION[$key]);
            }
        }
    }

    /**
    * Starts up the session system for current request
    */
    function _sess_run()
    {
        session_start();

        // check if session id needs regeneration
        if ( $this->_session_id_expired() )
        {
            // regenerate session id (session data stays the
            // same, but old session storage is destroyed)
            $this->regenerate_id();
        }

        // delete old flashdata (from last request)
        $this->_flashdata_sweep();

        // mark all new flashdata as old (data will be deleted before next request)
        $this->_flashdata_mark();
    }

    /**
    * Checks if session has expired
    */
    function _session_id_expired()
    {
        if ( !isset( $_SESSION['regenerated'] ) )
        {
            $_SESSION['regenerated'] = time();
            return false;
        }

        $expiry_time = time() - $this->session_id_ttl;

        if ( $_SESSION['regenerated'] <=  $expiry_time )         {             return true;         }         return false;     }          /**     * Sets "flash" data which will be available only in next request (then it will     * be deleted from session). You can use it to implement "Save succeeded" messages     * after redirect.     */     function set_flashdata($key, $value)     {         $flash_key = $this->flash_key.':new:'.$key;
        $this->set_userdata($flash_key, $value);
    }

    /**
    * Keeps existing "flash" data available to next request.
    */
    function keep_flashdata($key)
    {
        $old_flash_key = $this->flash_key.':old:'.$key;
        $value = $this->userdata($old_flash_key);

        $new_flash_key = $this->flash_key.':new:'.$key;
        $this->set_userdata($new_flash_key, $value);
    }

    /**
    * Returns "flash" data for the given key.
    */
    function flashdata($key)
    {
        $flash_key = $this->flash_key.':old:'.$key;
        return $this->userdata($flash_key);
    }

    /**
    * PRIVATE: Internal method - marks "flash" session attributes as 'old'
    */
    function _flashdata_mark()
    {
        foreach ($_SESSION as $name => $value)
        {
            $parts = explode(':new:', $name);
            if (is_array($parts) && count($parts) == 2)
            {
                $new_name = $this->flash_key.':old:'.$parts[1];
                $this->set_userdata($new_name, $value);
                $this->unset_userdata($name);
            }
        }
    }

    /**
    * PRIVATE: Internal method - removes "flash" session marked as 'old'
    */
    function _flashdata_sweep()
    {
        foreach ($_SESSION as $name => $value)
        {
            $parts = explode(':old:', $name);
            if (is_array($parts) && count($parts) == 2 && $parts[0] == $this->flash_key)
            {
                $this->unset_userdata($name);
            }
        }
    }
}
?>

Demos and documentation can be found here

I would thoroughly advise giving it a go as it sorted all of my problems out.