hcleavin

Introduction

In this tutorial, we'll build a basic PHP session-based authentication system and learn to:

• Use PHP sessions to manage login state
• Protect pages for authenticated users
• Implement login and logout functionality

What is HTTP?

HTTP is the protocol for data exchange between a client and server. It’s stateless, so each request is independent. We’ll send user credentials securely via POST requests.

What is a PHP session?

PHP session stores user data on the server during a visit. This allows us to maintain login state, filling the gap left by HTTP being stateless. Other methods like cookies or local storage keep data client-side and are vulnerable to tampering. PHP sessions are more secure for authentication than other methods.