Help with session variable please - CS5.5 PHP

Question

Hi all,
I am needing a little assistance with using a session variable and hope that someone may point me in the right direction.
I have created a PHP page that uses the Dreamweaver 'User Authentication' feature, and the basics of this works fine, directing a user to the correct pages depending on whether they are or are not a valid user. I would like however to personalise the 'valid user' page with the persons Username as entered in the User Authentication table....a seemingly simple task using a session variable, but one that I just don't seem to be able to get working!
The code generated for the UA on page 1 is as follows:
<?php
// *** Validate request to login to this site.
if (!isset($_SESSION)) {
  session_start();
$loginFormAction = $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
if (isset($_GET['accesscheck'])) {
  $_SESSION['PrevUrl'] = $_GET['accesscheck'];
if (isset($_POST['txtfirst_name'])) {
  $loginUsername=$_POST['txtfirst_name'];
  $password=$_POST['txtsurname'];
  $MM_fldUserAuthorization = "";
  $MM_redirectLoginSuccess = "member_update.php";
  $MM_redirectLoginFailed = "login.php";
  $MM_redirecttoReferrer = false;
  mysql_select_db($database_panto, $panto);
  $LoginRS__query=sprintf("SELECT firstname, surname FROM web_access WHERE firstname=%s AND surname=%s",
    GetSQLValueString($loginUsername, "text"), GetSQLValueString($password, "text"));
  $LoginRS = mysql_query($LoginRS__query, $panto) or die(mysql_error());
  $loginFoundUser = mysql_num_rows($LoginRS);
  if ($loginFoundUser) {
     $loginStrGroup = "";
    if (PHP_VERSION >= 5.1) {session_regenerate_id(true);} else {session_regenerate_id();}
    //declare two session variables and assign them
   $_SESSION['MM_Username'] = $loginUsername;
    $_SESSION['MM_UserGroup'] = $loginStrGroup;         
    if (isset($_SESSION['PrevUrl']) && false) {
      $MM_redirectLoginSuccess = $_SESSION['PrevUrl'];   
    header("Location: " . $MM_redirectLoginSuccess );
  else {
    header("Location: ". $MM_redirectLoginFailed );
?>
Firstly, the text highlighted in red above appears to be setting the session variable that I require. Is This correct?
If so, what is the code that I need to place in page 2 to use that session variable? or
Do I need to do something else on page 1 to properly assign the session variable?
Would really appreciate your expertise
Mark

Answer 1

It looks as though you've set the columns incorrectly in the User Authentication server behavior. This is the SQL query that checks the user's credentials:
  $LoginRS__query=sprintf("SELECT firstname, surname FROM web_access WHERE firstname=%s AND surname=%s",
    GetSQLValueString($loginUsername, "text"), GetSQLValueString($password, "text"));
You're looking for firstname and surname, whereas you should be looking for the user's login name and password.
$_SESSION['MM_Username'] is a session variable that stores the user's login name. To use it in a subsequent page, all that's needed is for the page to begin with session_start(). You can then echo the value to display it.
If you want to display the person's real name, you need to create a recordset in the second page using $_SESSION['MM_Username'] to find the firstname and surname. Alternatively, you can edit the existing code like this (I've copied only part of it):
  $LoginRS__query=sprintf("SELECT firstname, surname FROM web_access WHERE firstname=%s AND password=%s",
    GetSQLValueString($loginUsername, "text"), GetSQLValueString($password, "text"));
  $LoginRS = mysql_query($LoginRS__query, $panto) or die(mysql_error());
  $loginFoundUser = mysql_num_rows($LoginRS);
  if ($loginFoundUser) {
     $loginStrGroup = "";
    $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($LoginRS);
     $_SESSION['full_name'] = $row['firstname'] . ' ' . $row['surname'];
    if (PHP_VERSION >= 5.1) {session_regenerate_id(true);} else {session_regenerate_id();}
    //declare two session variables and assign them
   $_SESSION['MM_Username'] = $loginUsername;
    $_SESSION['MM_UserGroup'] = $loginStrGroup;
You can then use $_SESSION['full_name'] in a subsequent page that begins with session_start().