Sessions are lost when calling unserialize() on one server only

[tbelczak]

I have way too many hours into this and I feel as though it is due to a configuration difference somewhere between the two servers. Here is code for two simple scripts:

TEST1.PHP

<?php
session_start();

$cart[0] = array('item_number' => '12345', 'qty' => '5');

$_SESSION['cart'] = serialize($cart);

header('Location: test2.php');
exit();
?>

TEST2.PHP

<?php
session_start();

print_r($_SESSION);
print_r($_COOKIE);

$cart = unserialize($_SESSION['cart']);

print_r($cart);

phpinfo();
?>

The scripts behave differently on different machines...

If you go to http://tim.copelanddata.net/test1.php , you will see that the session gets set correctly, and you can refresh test2.php and get the same results.

However, when you go to http://tim.belczak.net/test1.php, the session gets set and is displayed correctly the first time. If you refresh test2.php, the session disappears. It does NOT disappear if unserialize() is not called.

I have included the session and cookie variables as well as phpinfo() for debugging. Please let me know if you can spot the obvious, which I cannot.

Thanks!

[Tekkno]

Based on what I found from php.net, you can try this.

<?php
session_start();

$cart[0] = array('item_number' => '12345', 'qty' => '5');

$_SESSION['cart'] = base64_encode(serialize($cart));

header('Location: test2.php');
exit();
?>

<?php
session_start();

print_r($_SESSION);
print_r($_COOKIE);

$cart = unserialize(base64_decode($_SESSION['cart']));

print_r($cart);

phpinfo();
?>

[chrishea]

My understanding is that sessions handle serialization for you. Are you sure that you need it? Maybe you are interfering with the Session internal serialization process.

[tbelczak]

My understanding is that sessions handle serialization for you. Are you sure that you need it? Maybe you are interfering with the Session internal serialization process.

I tried it without the serialization and it worked just fine! I first started using serialized arrays in sessions in 2005 with PHP4 and have always used serialize and unserialize. In know this host just migrated to new servers, so I wonder if an environment variable was tweaked to self-serialize arrays in sessions. You saved me from another evening of frustration! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!