phpBB session integration: using data in function

Question

I am trying to integrate phpBB3 sessions and data into an external website. I've followed the official resource for this and also read some helpful tips, yet I haven't found a concrete solution to my problem.

Into my site I include a phpbb.php which contains the following code:

<?php
define('IN_PHPBB', true);
$phpbb_root_path = (defined('PHPBB_ROOT_PATH')) ? PHPBB_ROOT_PATH : '../../forums/';
$phpEx = substr(strrchr(__FILE__, '.'), 1);
include($phpbb_root_path . 'common.' . $phpEx);

// Start session management
$user->session_begin();
$auth->acl($user->data);
$user->setup();
?>

The root path is configured fine, everything seems to work, and I can use the data on the site with code like this (example):

if ($user->data['user_id'] == ANONYMOUS)
{
    $tpl = new USPTemplate();
    $tpl->load("error_nologin.tpl");
    $tpl->display();
}
else
{
    $tpl = new USPTemplate();
    $tpl->load("review_submit.tpl");
    $tpl->assign("test",'Thanks for logging in, ' . $user->data['username']);
    $tpl->display();
}

This would load different templates with the template system I'm using based on whether or not the user is logged into the forum, and if he is, it also prints his username. All of this works just fine.

The problem however, is when I try to use a function:

function print_login() {
    if ($user->data['user_id'] == ANONYMOUS)
    {
        return "Not currently logged in. [ Log in ]";
    }
    else
    {
        if ( $user->data['user_colour'] != null)
        {
            return "Hello, <b style=\"color: #".$user->data['user_colour']."\">".$user->data['username']."</b>. [ Log out ]";
        }
        else return "Hello, ".$user->data['username'].". [ Log out ]";
    }
}

If I do this, even if the function is on a page which includes the phpbb.php, or even inside the phpbb.php itself, the session will not be recognized and the result will always be:

Hello, . [ Log out ]

Why can't functions I define access the phpBB data?

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 08 '13 at 13:56

3

PHP variables must refer to the global variables, because

<?php
$a = 2;

function test() {
  echo $a;
}
?>

will not work, and

<?php
$a = 2;

function test() {
  global $a;

  echo $a;
}
?>

will work.

In order for your function to work, you have to declare the global variables inside:

function print_login() {
    global $user;

    if ($user->data['user_id'] == ANONYMOUS)
    {
        return "Not currently logged in. [ Log in ]";
    }
...

answered Jun 08 '13 at 13:56

Hm, I've read something similar [here](https://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/phpbb3-cross-site-sessions-integration/): "remember if you do your logins through a function or object to include it through global/globals so the $auth variable / class is available in said functions/objects." However I didn't quite get it, and adding the "global $user;" line or even an additional "global $auth" line didn't do anything. Neither did adding an argument to the function and passing $user to that. The result remains the same. :X – ividyon Jun 08 '13 at 14:00
Can you find the class of user (in the documents included by phpbb) ? – Jun 08 '13 at 15:12
It's quite long, so I put it into a pastebin here: http://pastebin.com/JL5kvrYH There's also some documentation here: https://wiki.phpbb.com/User_class – ividyon Jun 08 '13 at 15:24
I have found the problem. It lied in the fact that I included my db.php, which contains code related to my site's MySQL database, after the phpbb.php. The db.php also uses a $user variable which caused a conflict with the phpBB code. Using your suggestion with the global variable then fixed the problem as intended. Thank you so very much! – ividyon Jun 08 '13 at 15:27
:) Glad that I could help. – Jun 08 '13 at 15:34

phpBB session integration: using data in function

1 Answers1