note 104198 added to function.setcookie

I was searching for a simple example of creating a cookie, storing a random number and updating it on refresh. I couldn't find one so I had to figure it out on my own.... - - - - One thing to *NOTE* is technically you can't update a cookie, you can only overwrite it with a new one with the same name. - - - - This creates a random number, stores it in a cookie, then references it on refresh, checks for duplicates and does necessary correction, then stores it again, rinse and repeat... <?php ob_start(); $MaxCount = 4;// set the max of the counter, in my tests "4" = (0,1,2,3) I adjusted below (+1) to get a "real" 4 (0,1,2,3,4) this is in reality 5 keys to humans, you can adjust script to eliminate "0", but my script makes use of the "0" $random =(rand()%($MaxCount+1));//give me a random number limited by the max, adding "1" because computers start counting at "0" if(!isset($_COOKIE['random'])){// check if random number cookie is not set //echo"not set"; setcookie('random', $random);//set the cookie for the first time }else{ $lastRandom= $_COOKIE['random']; //hold the last number if it was set before if($lastRandom == $random){//some logic to avoid repeats if($random < $MaxCount){//if below max, add 1 $random++; //echo "under the max, adding 1, "; }elseif($random >= ($MaxCount-1)){// if for some reason the random number is more than max or equal to it -1, and an additional -1 for max count in initial var (so in reality this -1 from intial max var, and -1 from $random which should be the same number) $random--; //echo "hit the max, subtracting 1, "; }else{ $random++; //echo "no case match, adding 1, "; } //echo "(".$lastRandom.", ".$random. "), they matched initally - was it fixed?"; }else{ //echo "(".$lastRandom.", ".$random. "), they DO NOT match"; setcookie('random', $random); } //echo"is set: {$_COOKIE['random']}"; } ob_end_flush(); ?> ---- Server IP: 64.71.164.2 Probable Submitter: 66.192.34.67 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.setcookie.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/104198 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/104198 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/104198 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php